Government official: Hungary rejects accusation that it is not taking appropriate action

Budapest, September 1 (MTI) – Hungary firmly rejects any accusation that suggests that its actions concerning the issue of migrants are wanting, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

Referring to criticism by Austrian officials regarding Hungary’s decision to allow migrants to travel to westwards on Monday, Levente Magyar, state secretary for economic diplomacy, told a news conference that within 24 hours another country that is in an alliance with Hungary and on friendly terms has used “base language to judge Hungary’s immigration policies”. “Yet this criticism comes from countries that are having to deal with far lighter pressure from the illegal migration wave than Hungary,” he said.

Magyar insisted that Austrian criticism of Hungary first for being too strict by building a fence along the Hungary-Serbia border and then for being too lenient for allowing migrants to travel on without valid documents was paradoxical. “There is some chaos in people’s heads whether to criticise Hungary for its rigour or for its indulgent immigration policy,” he said.

Rather than criticising Hungary, the “superhuman” efforts by its authorities to tackle the influx of illegal migrants should be appreciated, Magyar said.