Hungary’s Orban Bashes Liberal Immigration Policy
Source: blogs.wsj.com
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday lashed out against immigration, setting one of the main policy objectives of his next term in power after winning parliamentary elections in April.
“The goal is to cease immigration whatsoever,” said Hungary’s prime minister. “I think the current liberal immigration policy, which is considered obvious and morally based, is hypocrite,” Mr. Orban said.At a meeting with Hungary’s ambassadors to foreign countries on Monday, Mr. Orban recited part of his speech in Ypres, France at the European Union prime ministers’ summit and commemoration of the World War One centenary.
There he said he wanted to include in the leaders’ joint statement that immigration is wrong, and Europe’s aim is to cease immigration.
“There were two types of reactions: some envied me because they mustn’t say things like that although they’d very much like to. The others disagreed because they’ve failed to turn around demographic trends with family politics; have kept social tension at bay by subsidizing the jobless; and aren’t fazed if the ethnic basis of a nation state is broken,” Mr. Orban said.
The Hungarian prime minister said it was of paramount importance for Hungary to remain a nation state speaking the same language and having Christianity as its religious cornerstone.
Instead of financing the current immigration policy, Mr. Orban said member countries should boost development in the immigrants’ home countries, focus on increasing the birth rate in their home countries and carry out back-to-work programs for Europe’s Romani population of more than 10 million.
In 2012, net migration in the United Kingdom and Italy both stood at 900,000; in France it was 650,000, in Spain 600,000, in Germany 550,000, World Bank data show. This compares to Hungary’s 75,000 in 2012.
Hungary’s officials have been focusing on increasing the birth rate in part by boosting subsidies, offering tax exemption for those who have three kids and also re-introducing a three-year home stay for new mothers after giving birth.
Another way the government means to boost newlyweds’ mood to make babies was the social ministry’s congratulation card, which couples received after state weddings. The card included quotes from Hungarian poets and the ministry promoting childbirth as a way to keep up the Hungarian nation.
“If your love for one another becomes the source of a new life, that’s the greatest gift to your family. A child is a blessing, and the pledge of survival of the family and our nation.”
Article from : blogs.wsj.com
