This week Hungary completed the first stage of a razor wire fence that when finished will span 110 miles along the Serbian/Hungarian border and rise to a height of 13 feet. The barrier aims to halt the tide of migrants flooding in from North Africa and the Middle East. As international concern for these refugees rises, the Hungarian Prime Minister explains why he needs to keep them out.
According to new legislation passed on Friday, crossing or even damaging the wire fence is punishable by expulsion or imprisonment.
“The horror! How dare a sovereign state defend its border!” This sarcasm was part of Gateway Pundit’s response to a controversial New York Times story published on September 4th.
The Times condemned Hungary for its actions and blamed the country’s inadequate asylum policy for the current crisis. “Hungary is so hostile to migrants that it is building a 110-mile fence on its border with Serbia to keep them away. So flagrant is Hungary’s apparent animosity for migrants that the U.N. said its leaders had declined to accept assistance from the agency that supports refugees.”
While the Internet is flooded with disturbing images of refugees and their heartbreaking stories, few take the time to look at the situation from a Hungarian point of view.
“The problem is not a European problem, the problem is a German problem,” said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as he attacked Europe’s asylum quotas as an “invitation” to migrants. Orbán insisted that keeping the tide of Muslims out is the only way to protect Europe’s Christian culture.
“Nobody wants to stay in Hungary…all want to go to Germany. Our job is to register them,” said Orbán as hundreds of migrants and refugees stormed into a Budapest railway station hoping to board a train to Western Europe.
“Everything which is now taking place before our eyes threatens to have explosive consequences for the whole of Europe,” wrote Orbán in a German newspaper. “Europe’s response is madness.”
“Those arriving have been raised in another religion and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are not Christians, but Muslims,” said Orbán. “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? There is no alternative, and we have no option but to defend our borders.”
Despite harsh criticism from the EU, Hungary’s Prime Minister says he has an obligation to control his country’s border and protect the Christian culture within.
“Please, don’t criticize Hungary for doing what is compulsory to be done,” asks Orbán. “Hungary did everything possible in order to keep the regulations. We create just now in the Hungarian parliament a new package of regulations, we set up a physical barrier, and all these together can provide a new situation in Hungary and in Europe from September 15th.”