Member Country Threatens Legal Action Against EU
Budapest is seeking reimbursement from Brussels for expenditures related to maintaining border security against illegal migration. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Budapest is seeking reimbursement for expenses incurred in border protection against illegal immigration, a senior official has announced.
Hungary may consider legal action against the European Commission to recoup costs associated with border security amid a rising migrant influx, according to Gergely Gulyas, head of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s office, who spoke on Thursday.
Gulyas emphasized that Budapest would not be compelled to accept migrants and stated that those granted asylum under EU regulations would be offered a “free one-way trip to Brussels.” Since 2015, Hungary has maintained a closed southern border to asylum seekers during the height of the migration crisis.
“We are ready to sue the European Commission after it had reimbursed partially or in full the costs incurred by other member states protecting the Schengen border,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
This statement came in light of Germany's recent decision to reinforce its border controls to mitigate Islamist extremism and address irregular migration. Gulyas expressed concern over this decision, suggesting that “Germany would destroy Schengen” and warned of potential serious repercussions for the EU economy.
He recalled the government's earlier warning: “If we don’t protect the external borders, the internal borders will be restored.” Gulyas noted that the current situation shows the deterioration of the Schengen area, stating, “now we see that the internal, border-free area of Schengen is ending, we are living between borders again, which no one wanted.”
Additionally, Gulyas pointed out that Hungary has invested €2 billion in “protecting the Schengen border in the past years without getting any meaningful contribution whatsoever from the EU.”
Hungary has consistently been at odds with the EU regarding migration policies, having refused to endorse EU-wide resettlement quotas. In June, the European Court of Justice imposed a €200 million fine on Budapest for its failure to comply with the bloc’s asylum regulations and added a daily penalty of €1 million for ongoing noncompliance.
Orban has criticized the court ruling as “outrageous and unacceptable,” and Hungarian officials have threatened to send buses of migrants to Brussels in retaliation. In response, the EU has stated it would utilize “all powers” necessary to prevent Hungary from following through with such actions.
The EU has faced a migration crisis since at least 2015, largely stemming from turmoil in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to the EU Commission, there were 385,445 irregular border crossings recorded in 2023, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Hungary may consider legal action against the European Commission to recoup costs associated with border security amid a rising migrant influx, according to Gergely Gulyas, head of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s office, who spoke on Thursday.
Gulyas emphasized that Budapest would not be compelled to accept migrants and stated that those granted asylum under EU regulations would be offered a “free one-way trip to Brussels.” Since 2015, Hungary has maintained a closed southern border to asylum seekers during the height of the migration crisis.
“We are ready to sue the European Commission after it had reimbursed partially or in full the costs incurred by other member states protecting the Schengen border,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
This statement came in light of Germany's recent decision to reinforce its border controls to mitigate Islamist extremism and address irregular migration. Gulyas expressed concern over this decision, suggesting that “Germany would destroy Schengen” and warned of potential serious repercussions for the EU economy.
He recalled the government's earlier warning: “If we don’t protect the external borders, the internal borders will be restored.” Gulyas noted that the current situation shows the deterioration of the Schengen area, stating, “now we see that the internal, border-free area of Schengen is ending, we are living between borders again, which no one wanted.”
Additionally, Gulyas pointed out that Hungary has invested €2 billion in “protecting the Schengen border in the past years without getting any meaningful contribution whatsoever from the EU.”
Hungary has consistently been at odds with the EU regarding migration policies, having refused to endorse EU-wide resettlement quotas. In June, the European Court of Justice imposed a €200 million fine on Budapest for its failure to comply with the bloc’s asylum regulations and added a daily penalty of €1 million for ongoing noncompliance.
Orban has criticized the court ruling as “outrageous and unacceptable,” and Hungarian officials have threatened to send buses of migrants to Brussels in retaliation. In response, the EU has stated it would utilize “all powers” necessary to prevent Hungary from following through with such actions.
The EU has faced a migration crisis since at least 2015, largely stemming from turmoil in the Middle East and Africa, as well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to the EU Commission, there were 385,445 irregular border crossings recorded in 2023, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
