The European Union’s executive has warned that it will take stern measures against Hungary’s anti-immigrant government should Budapest follow through on its threat to bus migrants to Brussels in protest at EU asylum policies.
Last week, the government let it be known that it was considering providing migrants with free, one-way trips to Brussels in a bid to pressure the European Commission to drop the heavy fines imposed on Hungary for persistently breaking EU asylum regulations. In June, the European Court of Justice ordered Hungary to pay a fine of 200 million euros for its continuing defiance of the bloc’s asylum rules, while an additional fine of 1 million euros daily was imposed until such time as the government’s policies comply with EU law. Budapest has been withholding payment.
European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper noted that were the threatened bus convoy to hit the road, not only would it be “unacceptable” and “in clear breach” of EU law, but it would also “undermine the security of the Schengen area as a whole.” The Commission, she said, was in touch with authorities in the countries the threatened bus convoy might pass through en route from Budapest to Brussels. While the Commission stands “ready to use all our powers under the treaty to ensure that EU law is respected”, the most effective preventive measure would be for other EU member countries to stop the buses by reintroducing border checks, she declared.
Belgium’s top migration official, Nicole de Moor, made clear on Monday that authorities there would “not provide access” to the convoy.
