Hungary PM asks EU to pay border protection costs

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban asked the European Union to pay half of the costs of the country's anti-immigrant border protection, Minister of Prime Minister's Office Janos Lazar has said here.

The prime minister made the request to the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in a letter, asking the Brussels-based organization to cover half of the costs of the Hungarian anti-immigrant border protection, which is estimated at some 800 million euros ($952 million), Lazar said at a press conference on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Lazar, the issue of border protection should also be discussed in the case of European solidarity, which should be manifested also in practice. Thus, the European Union must also bear the costs incurred on the Hungarian side.

"We want to have solidarity not only in messages, but also in concrete actions," he said, stressing that since the outbreak of the migration crisis, Hungary kept the Schengen border of the European Union safe by building a frontier fence and by training border guards - financed by Hungarian taxpayers - not only protecting themselves, but also protecting all citizens of the continent against the flood of illegal immigrants.

"It is not an exaggeration to say - that the safety of European citizens is also created by Hungarian police and soldiers," he added.

The EC had already assisted a number of countries; Greece has already received the promised 1 billion euros, Italy 656 million euros, and Bulgaria 100 million euros. It is time for Hungary to submit its request, too, according to Lazar.

Lazar also pointed that the plan for building camps in Libya was in line with the Hungarian standpoint, as well as returning the migrants back to their country of origin and the elimination of the causes of immigration at their roots.

He recalled that the Hungarian government has proposed hot spots for two years now.

The question of building migrants-camps in Libya, where they can present their request, is on the table now in Libya.

He also confirmed that the government extended the crisis situation due to massive immigration until March 7 next year.

--IANS

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