Hungary to bus migrants to Brussels amid EU legal standoff
The Hungarian government has announced plans to literally transport migrants to Brussels in an effort to pressure the European Union.
The Secretary of State in the Hungarian Ministry of Interior has accused the EU of trying to force Hungary to admit illegal migrants.
"If the European Union, Brussels, wants to force Hungary to admit illegal migrants, whom we have stopped at the border countless times, then after completing the procedure, we will offer them a free one-way ticket to Brussels," stated Bence Retvari.
The conference, where these words were spoken, took place with a backdrop of buses displaying the route "Röszke-Brussels."
Röszke is located at Hungary's southern border with Serbia, and Brussels is the seat of the European Union. "If Brussels wants migrants, they can have them. The transport will occur following the implementation of the European procedure," Retvari added.
Fine imposed on Hungary
Hungary has not yet paid a 200 million euro ($222 million) fine imposed by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) due to the country's migration policy. If the government in Budapest does not pay within two weeks, the money will be deducted from EU funds. Hungary also faces daily fines of 1 million euros ($1.1 million).
The Court of Justice of the EU ruled in 2020 that Hungary had violated EU law by detaining asylum seekers in transit zones and deporting those awaiting appeal decisions. The ruling also addressed the use of pushbacks—forcing migrants back to the country they crossed the border from.
Immediately after the ruling, Hungary declared the elimination of transit zones. However, the CJEU determined that Budapest had not fully complied with the ruling, and in June imposed a fine of 200 million euros ($222 million). Additionally, the Court announced that if Hungary does not amend its laws in accordance with the ruling, it could face a daily fine of 1 million euros ($1.1 million).
The Hungarian government wants the European Commission to consider the funds the country spends on guarding the EU's external border—its border with Serbia—towards the fine. According to Budapest's calculations, the Commission owes it 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) for border protection over the past decade. However, European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari emphasized that the procedure for paying or deducting fines is stipulated in EU regulations, and Budapest's proposal does not align with them.
