Minister: pandemic and migration is a ‘vicious circle’

The coronavirus pandemic and migration form a “vicious circle”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said at a United Nations conference in Geneva on Wednesday, arguing that the more the virus spreads, the more people will flee their home countries, spreading the virus even further.

Apart from its effects on public health, the pandemic also has a serious impact on global trade and the economy, Szijjártó said at the fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries. The biggest impact is felt by the least developed countries, since they are the most vulnerable, he added.

The pandemic has also intensified the factors that drive mass migration, Szijjártó, who is the co-chair of the conference, said. This, he said, could lead to a

“vicious circle” of migrants spreading the virus further, which then could force more people to flee their homes.

The minister emphasised the importance of providing help at the point where it is needed instead of causing problems where there are none, arguing that it was “complicated to imagine” that any illegal migrants could present two negative PCR tests.