Austrian Chancellor hold talks in Budapest – UPDATE

Budapest, July 26 (MTI) – Hungary is committed to doing everything it can to be “the best possible neighbour and partner” of Austria, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after talks with Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern in Budapest on Tuesday.

Orbán said the two countries’ situation differs in terms of migration, adding that Hungary’s interest lies in “perfectly” observing international laws.

Hungary understands Austria’s need to introduce strict controls along its eastern border, Orbán said, but added that the best way to manage migration is for the two countries to join forces in protecting the Hungarian-Serbian border.

But Hungary has asked Austria to explore further means to help, primarily by sending even more officers to the border, Orbán added.

He said that in line with international agreements, Hungary will take back any migrants from Austria that first entered the EU through Hungary. They will then immediately be sent back to their countries of origin, as per Hungary’s readmission agreements with the western Balkan states.

Orbán said Hungary has now fully sealed its border with Serbia. He noted that under the country’s criminal code, no one is allowed to stay illegally in Hungary and therefore migrants who had entered the country illegally cannot pass through to Austria either. If Hungary can keep stopping illegal entrants, it can also protect Austria from illegal immigration, he insisted.

Asked about migrants who are entering Austria from Hungary despite the strict regulations, Orbán said their passage into that country was made possible by a European Commission ruling that obliged Hungary to wind up its closed refugee reception centres. If Hungary could require migrants to wait for the completion of their asylum procedures in closed facilities then none of them would be entering Austria, he said.

Answering another question, Orbán said the Hungarian government supports civil groups helping migrants, adding, however, that most of the help from civil groups is needed on the Serbian side of the border. He said there are currently 600 to 1,000 migrants waiting to be let in to Hungary.

But Hungarian authorities only allow as many people into the transit zone as they can do checks on, Orbán said. Hungary’s view is that “every single migrant carries a public security and terror risk” and it can take months to determine how big that risk is or if it exists at all, he said.

Orbán said his talks with Kern were successful and that their meeting strengthened the political foundations Hungary and Austria needed to “open a new chapter” in their relations.