Border control within entire EU Schengen zone would cost Hungary billions of euros, says foreign minister

Budapest, September 28 (MTI) – It would cost the Hungarian economy billions of euros if border controls were reinstalled along many more border sections within the EU Schengen zone in response to the migration crisis, the foreign minister told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published on Monday.

Multinational companies are major contributors to Hungary’s economic output with their large share in the country’s exports, Peter Szijjarto said. These companies operate according to tight schedules in the delivery of both basic materials and the end products, therefore delays possibly caused by further border controls would seriously affect them, he told the paper.

“This could have inconceivable effects on the production of big companies in Hungary,” he said.

Szijjarto said he did not expect that as a result of its migration policy Hungary would “drift away” from western European countries, but saw a “risk” that cooperation with the Arab region might be negatively influenced by reports that there is an anti-Islam sentiment in the country.