Everything which is now taking place before our eyes threatens to have explosive consequences for the whole of Europe, and is now causing alarm throughout the world. The facts speak for themselves: almost 150,000 illegal immigrants have crossed Hungary’s borders this year alone. This number is already three and a half times the total for 2014, and we have still not reached the end of this year.
In Europe as a whole, the total number of immigrants in the first half of this year increased by more than 70 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. More than 40 per cent of these people have come from Central and South Asia; of all illegal immigrants arriving in Hungary, this is also the approximate percentage coming from the Middle East. To understand what we must do, we need to grasp the true nature of the situation we are facing. Europe is not in the grip of a “refugee problem” or a “refugee situation”, but the European continent is threatened by an ever-mounting wave of modern-era migration.
Movement of people is taking place on an immense scale, and from a European perspective the number of potential future immigrants seems limitless. With each passing day we see that hundreds of thousands have been turning up and clamouring at our borders, and there are millions more intending to set out for Europe, driven by economic motives. Meanwhile immigration has become a lucrative business enterprise for dangerous and unscrupulous criminal gangs.
According to shocking figures in Kronen Zeitung, since the turn of this century international people smuggling gangs have made almost EUR 16 billion from the transportation of illegal immigrants, with around 30,000 people dying as a result of their trade. The events taking place at sea, on the roads and on our borders are inhuman, and Europe’s response is madness. We must acknowledge that the European Union’s misguided immigration policy is responsible for this situation. Irresponsibility is the mark of every European politician who holds out the promise of a better life to immigrants and encourages them to leave everything behind and risk their lives in setting out for Europe.
If Europe does not return to the path of commonsense, it will find itself laid low in a battle for its fate. Even those who have only superficially followed European debates on immigration policy can see that a wide range of arguments have surfaced and a variety of aspects have become intertwined, making clarity difficult to come by. Commonsense declares that one can only create order among conflicting considerations if one sets up a clear order of priority. First and foremost in importance is the protection of external borders. One of Europe’s greatest achievements has been the Schengen Area.
For us Central Europeans the possibility of free movement within Europe is to experience freedom itself, and it is thus particularly important. Schengen only works, however, if individual Member States fulfil their obligations under the Schengen Agreement – namely the protection of external borders, which is an essential condition for ensuring the possibility of free movement within Europe. If we cannot protect our external borders, Schengen will be in danger. This cannot be wanted by anyone who seeks to defend Europe and who values the concept of Europe.
The fact that no one apart from Hungary and Spain wants to defend Europe’s borders is quite depressing. Europe must understand, however, that those who are overwhelmed cannot offer shelter. What is happening now is overwhelming. This is why the fence which we Hungarians are building is important. We are not doing this for fun but because it is needed. The fence is simply a line of defence: a physical asset which can be protected. The fence as a line of defence is a consequence of the Schengen Agreement, and is thus a necessity for Europe. In Europe immigration is also, of course, a question of democracy – if it were not, we would not be Europeans.
Above all, democracy means listening to what people want, and this is why we Hungarians initiated a consultation process on the issue of immigration. One million members of our eight million-strong electorate returned completed questionnaires, and 85 per cent of them said that the EU has failed in its attempts to manage immigration. To those Europeans who believe in a United States of Europe, I recommend the words of a great president of the United States: “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”. Europe must not stand in opposition to the will of Europe’s citizens. But now we have a situation in which European citizens want something different from that which is put forward by most European governments.
People want us Europeans to be masters of the situation and to defend our borders. The first and most important question is defence of the borders. Only after we have held back the tide will it be worth talking about all the other issues. Only when we have protected our borders can we ask questions such as how many people we want to receive, or if there should be quotas. Let us not forget, however, that those arriving have been raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are not Christians but Muslims.
This is an important question because Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity. Is it not worrying in itself that European Christianity is now barely able to keep Europe Christian? If we lose sight of this, the idea of Europe could become a minority interest in its own continent. Ceterum censeo: there is no alternative and we have no option but to defend our borders. What we have agreed on together cannot be given up without mutual consent. Schengen must be preserved in order to maintain free movement within Europe; only after this can other questions be addressed. Because no one should forget: those who are overwhelmed cannot offer shelter to anyone.
The article was published on September 2. The translation was released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
I agree with Mr. Orban’s comments. For me, it’s also extremely upsetting that European people have had the strength and courage to overcome two World Wars where millions of people died, while the immigrants are running away. Most of the are perfectly healthy and strong young men !!! Muslim men think women are objects and have less value, but when it’s time to fight for their own country and rebuild, they ran away like scared little girls !!!
Right now, it sounds nice to welcome them, but what about the future? They won’t go back to their countries. The Middle East has been and will always be in conflicts caused by sectarian differences. They follow Islam with different interpretations and don’t think twice in killing each other just for being Shia, Sunni, Alawites, Ismailis, Druzes, Pashtun, Hazara, Tajik, Kurds, Yazidi, etc, etc, etc. What can we Christians expect? comprehension? acceptance? tolerance? Of course, no. We will be hated even more.
Already young Europeans have problems to find a job. Where are all the immigrants going to work? Are the countries going to feed, house, and clothe them forever?
sooner or later, they will try to replicate the communities they left behind, impose their rules, and you will be a foreigner in your own country.
Thinking about the future; Muslims have a lot of children and eventually they will have political power to change laws, Remember the freedom we have now; freedom to dress as we want to, freedom to eat and drink anything we want to, freedom to read, travel, work, hug, kiss someone and even marry for love.
Would you like your daughters be covered from head to toes; being forced to marry at young age with their own cousins !!! ; kept away from men’s eyes; not be allowed to study and work around men; no having free will, etc? Do you want your sons treat women as property? Do you want your children to be ruled by Middle Age rules, told what to eat, and what not to eat, have arranged marriages, etc?
It’s more complicated than being the “kind” head of state welcoming immigrants; it’s about thinking in the well being of future European generations.
Stop being a bleeding heart. Life is unfair and there are too many xountries having wars, bad economy, dictatorships, natural disasters, etc. People in those countries do the best with what they have.
Remember that other Islamic countries as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain don’t want to get any immigrant for fear to destabilization. They pray to the same God, so why should we be the fools who rescue them?
Edna McMillan wrote
“I agree with Mr. Orban’s comments. For me, it’s also extremely upsetting that European people have had the strength and courage to overcome two World Wars where millions of people died, while the immigrants are running away.”
Edna, tell that to the 100,000 Poles who sought refuge in Iran when Nazi Germany invaded their homeland. They were eventually re-located to countries as far as New Zealand. Where those Poles refugees or immigrants?
I’m an American of Greek descent. I wanted the Hungarian people to know that it is NOT wrong to enforce the law and keep the migrants out. What the imbecile Merkel did, by announcing to the whole of the Middle East that Germany is welcoming migrants was insane. She must be suffering from dementia. If Germany wanted all those migrants, she should have chartered planes and flown them over, instead of imposing on her neighbors by the unending hordes that were sure to follow. Her criticism of Hungary and the ridiculing of the Austrian prime minister was uncalled for and they will face the consequences. Hungary, stand firm. You should not have to turn your country into a Muslim land. Most of the migrants are young men. They will be looking at your women and salivating. they have no respect for infidels. Keep them out
They did NOT run away like “scared little girls”. They ran as cowardly grown men.
Agree with Mr. Orban. Europe cannot and should not attempt to save the whole world.
Germany and Austria is trying to rewrite their dark history by blaming Hungary. Full support to Hungary.
The Prime minister of Hungary is right. Magyarorszag a magyarok.)csak!!.
When I visit Budapest I do not want to see build up of new mosques.Hungary lost too much territories and the idea to return to islamic rule is not attractive.
On the otherhand, the refugees should be properly fed and housed and medical treatment should be provided in return of work .The arab countries should be encouraged to accept them.
The disintegration of Syria and Iraq are logical consequences of the artificial Sykes-Picault lines from 1916
why isnt russia or china helping or india
Disgraceful lines of argument from a historically uninformed leader. No surprise though, Hungary – both the state and the church, collaborated with the Nazis during World War II, something they (along with Austria) never came to terms with as they pleaded guilty of being victims themselves!
As for Christianity, there’s nothing more un-Christian than denying protection for the persecuted. If Orban thinks Syrians are immigrants and not refugees, let him ask Asad and ISIL a tour guide in Syria.
Finally, the assertion made above by alexander izhaki is an utterly ridiculous one. Why revisit Sykes-Picot when you can see the current mess in the Levant is a logical consequence of Bush-Blair attack on Iraq? Heck! Any nation that took part in that illegal war of aggression should pick up the bill by giving the refugees protection from Asad, ISIL and Al Queda.
Robie, very well said, I totally agree!
Agree with Mr. Orban!
I agree with Mr. Orban. I’m not saying that all the illegal aliens are bad people, BUT they are from a drastically different culture, and other Muslims who have preceded them are not assimilating into European culture – covered heads, Sharia law, etc.
Hungary should continue building its wall. When I visited Chile a few tears ago, it’s border with Bolivis was pro otected with land mines – so anyone who thinks that a wall is cruel or excessive should consider that more extreme measures are available.
Thank you Mr. Orban for fighting against this madness. I hope you will be able to safe Europe from these left wing idealists who welcome everyone in Germany and Austria.
I’m German and my country is spending over 10 Million Dollar annually (!!!!) for illegal immigrants and even that is not enough anymore, because more and more are coming. Wellcoming illegals with sweets and hurra-parades is a very good advertisement (supprise! They are watching TV, who would have thought!). There are illegal immigrants laying around in every train Station and I don’t feel safe anymore to go to work or even to buy the stuff I need. If you are against illegal immigration and pro reforming the asylum laws, you are automatically called a Nazi here in Germany, so almost no politician tries to oppose the current Government policy. Most Germans (even the left wing charity to the world people) are beginning to understand, that things it can’t go on like this anymore, but they are too gutless to admit it. Therefore Mr. Orban will not face too much opposition when he closes the border, because he is doing exactly what German and Austrian leaders secretly want him to do. Everyone knows that we have to stop this uncontrolled mass-immigration, but nobody wants to be the bad, inhuman person who does what has to be done. So thank you Mr. Orban for being the bad guy!
*Billion $US, im sorry
I couldn’t agree more with the Hungarian president mr Orban. It isn’t the Hungarian fault this crisis has happened and he shoudn’t succumb to the European leftist ideals. I’m from the Netherlands and we have a long history with muslim immigrants. They were suppose to come and work for a few years, but now there are already a million in this country.
You’d think that after 40 years of integration the would have somewhat blended in in our society, but this didn’t happened. They are overrepresented in the crime figures, have massive unemployment, are heavely dependent on social security, have the highest costs of all ethnic groups in the social care, have the highest birth rate and carry a big radical threat to the indigenous population.
I find it very logical and reasonable that the Hunagrian people are sceptical in taking a lot of immigrants in there country. They only have to look to the statistics of my country to determine it’s a bad idea. If there was somebody to blame the cautious attitude of mr Orban, it should be the Western-European socialist leaders, who failed with there integration policies, over the last 30 years.
Mr Orban, you are the last politician in EU who didn’t lose his mind. I keep my fingers crossed for you and good luck with implementing of your new immigration policy.
A testvérek magyarok, a lengyelek veled ezekben a nehéz időkben, és hogyan van, hogy jöjjön a segítségetekre, ahogy segítettek elleni harcban a zsidó bolsevik invázió 1920-ban !!!
The majority of the English electorate AGREE with Mr Orban despite the attempted brain washing of
our left wing media, particularly the Marxist BBC who all wish us to think otherwise.
Please do not allow those responsible for this crisis influence your courageous stance.
What i fail to understand is on one side US, Europe, Israel, and Saudi Arabia is supporting rebellions against Assad(Syrian prime minister), who is trying to destroy ISIS and on the other side they are investing all resources in the media about fears of ISIS. Europe is paying the price of supporting American invasion of other countries, Europe should divert these immigrants towards US and Israel.
And what the mainstream media doesnt tell is that there are 70+ sects in Islam and Syrians are one of the most tolerant, moderate and peaceful Muslims unlike rest of the Arab world bitches like Wahabis in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Do some reach fellow Hungarians before acting and posting and being threaten, fortunately due to internet information is just a click away, be knowledgeable dont just fall for the hype and misinformation being fed by the media.
Dear Muslim Friends,
We have been watching Syrian refugees desperately trying to reach the west. We feel sorry for your hardship. The Aylan photo on the beach made us cry and forget your perception of us, us the infidels. We the Christian of the Middle East cannot stop wondering what brought millions of you to this miserable situation. For many years we had to live with your ideology, speeches, and belief on how great your religion and prophet is and how inferior our religion and societies are.
In Egypt, Christians cannot fix their churches without a permission from the government which takes years, not to mention that they cannot build new ones. In Saudi Arabia, we cannot build churches or worship even in our homes. In Movies, when the God word is mentioned you translate it as the Capable but not Allah because Allah belongs just to the Muslims. You have prosecuted us throughout history and killed us whenever you got the opportunity. What about the Armenian Genocide? What about the Iraqi Christians? What about the Lebanese Christians?
Your religion is better, your Allah is greater, your girls are virgins, your culture is superior, your societies are perfect but why are you kneeling at the door steps of the western countries begging for shelter? Is this another mission dictated by Allah? Why are you sailing westward and not eastward toward the great Muslim countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Bangladesh where your great Allah reigns?
We are quite sure that when you settle in the western countries, the Muslim ideology will breathe again in your souls. Your descendants will forget the faces of their desperate parents and remember this immigration time as Allah will and plan to convert the satanic Europeans nations into Islam. The Muslim countries which are currently turning their backs on you will in the future compete to build mosques for you and send you Men of Allah to reinstate Islamic culture in your children. We are sure your children will remember the European generosity and open doors as a gift from Allah who answered your prayers. You will assure yourself that Allah is great and your religion is true. Didn’t Allah find for you a new land to thrive and spread his word? Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar.
Stand firm, Mr. Orban, there are plenty in the UK who agree with you.
I finally understood why Islam is different than all other religions when I understood 2 things.
1. Eastern and Western civilizations are totally different. Most western secular societies are still based upon Christian values. Most Eastern do not believe women and children have human rights.
2. Islam is a Theocracy, not a religion. That was the clincher, and everything finally makes sense now. To say it is like all other religions is disingenuous. (In the USA at least, Islam lived in peace with all other religions, b/c somehow it also was integrated with Western civilization values. Of course, this was all before 9/11.)
Just an aside. Saudi Arabia is under Sharia Law. Their offer of help to Germany has to been to build 200 Mosques there. See points 1 & 2 above.
I somehow agree with Mr. Orban in a sense that open boarder is actually not a solution to this refugee problem compared to it’s scale. I feel sorry seeing small children and women and families suffering in this journey. But this is not certainly a solution the way Europe wants to tackle it. I think Ms. Merkel already did enough damage to the problem. If Europe really wants refugee they should have taken them directly from refugee camps in middle east, would avoid deaths of children in the sea.
Another thing is cultural integration, otherwise we are making another problem that we will feel decades later.