Brussels Mayor Philippe Close has spoken out strongly against plans by the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orbán to send migrants to Brussels by bus.
Close wants these buses to be stopped at the Belgian border. This reaction comes after Hungary was fined 200 million euros by the European Court of Justice for violating EU asylum rules. In dissatisfaction with this sanction, Hungary has indicated that it will offer asylum seekers free transport to Brussels.
Hungarian State Secretary Bence Rétvári announced the plans last week. “If Brussels wants illegal migrants, they can have them,” he provocatively told the press. The remark has sparked angry reactions in Brussels, where the mayor wonders how often they have to endure such provocations from a country subsidized by the EU.
criticism
During the social media post on X Phillippe Close expressed his frustration, tagging the Belgian Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior. He criticized Hungary's attitude and demanded that these buses not cross the border. “I call Alexander De Croo and Annelies Verlinden to block these buses at the Belgian border. How long are we going to tolerate the provocations of a country that we subsidize?”, said Phillippe Close, who took care for division within Belgian politics.
Georges-Louis Bouchez, the leader of the liberal MR party, voiced his support for Hungary’s decision, further raising tensions in the government. This debate comes at a time when Brussels is already struggling with thousands of homeless asylum seekers, adding to the pressure on Belgium’s migration policy. Nicole de Moor, the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration, also weighed in on the discussion. She stressed that the European Union can only be successful in tackling migration issues if member states work together.
The €200 million fine imposed on Hungary by the European Court of Justice was brought by the European Commission. Despite the threat of further sanctions, Hungary has so far refused to pay. If Hungary does not pay by the deadline, the amount could be deducted from the funds it receives from the EU budget. In addition, Hungary faces a daily fine of €1 million as long as it fails to bring its national legislation into line with EU rules.
Orbán, meanwhile, has ramped up his rhetoric against migrants and Brussels. The Hungarian government is even considering legal action against the EU to reclaim the €2 billion it spent on policing its borders with Serbia and Croatia. At the same time, Hungary is accused of illegally returning migrants to Serbia, a practice that has been going on since 2016. According to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organization, Hungary has sent more than 2017 migrants, including children, back to Serbia since 350.000.
“This is a policy more suited to a police state than to a country that respects the rule of law,” said the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.
Meanwhile, new plans are being drawn up at the European level to further curb irregular migration. A leaked European Commission document, revealed by civil rights organisation Statewatch, shows that the EU plans to speed up deportations of people to their countries of origin under new asylum rules.
