Hungary opposes mandatory redistribution of migrants

The Hungarian government supports stricter regulations against NGOs “taxiing” migrants across the sea to Europe but rejects EU plans on a mandatory redistribution of migrants aimed at easing the migration pressure on Italy, an interior ministry official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press, state secretary Károly Kontrát assessed a meeting of EU interior ministers in Tallinn on July 6 at which they discussed the latest developments in the migration crisis concerning the recently increased numbers of refugees arriving in Italy.

He said he had underlined at the meeting the Hungarian government’s position that the primary task for the EU was to stop the wave of migrants and to protect the bloc’s external borders.

Kontrát said the interior ministers hailed Italy’s call for resolute action towards more effectively regulating civil organisations involved in helping migrants at sea.