Protection of the Schengen border Orban wants EU money for border protection and threatens to sue

Hungary is demanding money from the EU Commission to protect its borders and is threatening legal action if it fails to do so. The background to this is the ongoing dispute over migration and asylum policy.

Hungary wants money from the EU Commission to protect its borders. "Hungary has spent two billion euros in recent years on protecting the Schengen external border without receiving any contribution from the European Union," said Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, at a media conference on Thursday. Should this not be possible in the normal way, Hungary would also be prepared to sue the Commission.

The background to Hungary's demand for money is the dispute with Brussels over the Orban government's migration and asylum policy. In June, the European Court of Justice imposed a fine of 200 million euros on Hungary for repeatedly violating EU asylum regulations. Hungary was also ordered to pay one million euros a day until it brings its policy into line with EU law. However, the government in Budapest is delaying payment.

Criticism of Germany

Orban's nationalist government recently threatened to offer immigrants free bus transportation from Hungary's southern border to the EU headquarters in Brussels. Gulyas made it clear on Thursday that only people who have been granted political asylum in Hungary would be considered for the free ride to Brussels.

Gulyas also criticized Germany's decision to reintroduce controls at all national borders in order to combat irregular migration. Germany was thus torpedoing the Schengen Agreement for the free movement of people and goods in 29 European countries, he said.

dpa