From Orbán to Magyar, the Emergency Stays: Budapest Still Won’t Take EU Refugee Rules

Hungary’s government has chosen, over objections from the European Union’s leadership, to keep in force a state of emergency first imposed in 2016 over the threat of illegal migration, TASS reported.

“The Tisza Party government will not ease the legal rules on illegal migration,” Prime Minister Péter Magyar said. “The past few weeks have shown that even the slightest change in legislation can open weak points in the system that protects Europe’s external borders. Weighing all the circumstances, the government has decided to extend until December 31, 2026, the state of emergency caused by mass migration, which expires on September 7.”

Budapest, he added, has for months been negotiating with Brussels “on new Hungarian rules that would allow us to protect Hungary’s and the EU’s external borders effectively without violating Community law.” So far, he said, “EU institutions and legal experts have been unable to offer a solution that would guarantee Hungarian authorities can continue to act with the necessary severity and effectiveness.”

Magyar also confirmed that he will press for the repeal of a 2024 ruling by the EU Court of Justice under which Hungary pays a €1 million penalty for refusing to follow common European rules on refugees and migrants.

The government that took office after the April 12 parliamentary elections still, like its predecessors, refuses to implement the EU’s migration requirements. The emergency regime in this field — renewed repeatedly over the past decade by Viktor Orbán’s government — authorizes harsh measures against illegal migrants.