Hungary Will Hold Referendum on Refugee Resettlement

Hungary will hold a referendum in September or October over the European Union’s mandatory migrant resettlement quota, according to Reuters. Roughly 160,000 refugees are looking for host nations, and many governments within the EU have accepted the Brussels-based quota, but Hungarian leadership stresses national sovereignty above all else. The travelers in question are comprised of refugees from war-torn countries and migrants seeking better opportunities.

Hungary will hold a referendum in September or October over the European Union’s mandatory migrant resettlement quota, according to Reuters. Roughly 160,000 refugees are looking for host nations, and many governments within the EU have accepted the Brussels-based quota, but Hungarian leadership stresses national sovereignty above all else. The travelers in question are comprised of refugees from war-torn countries and migrants seeking better opportunities.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has increased his anti-immigrant rhetoric since the migrant crisis began a year ago and has differed with Brussels immensely. The prime minister does not share the EU’s vision of helping new arrivals find a better life and believes mass Muslim migration threatens Christian values.

The prime minister’s views and policies have drawn criticism from many EU leaders, with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann once likening Hungary’s detention of migrants to Nazi policies.

Hungarians have challenged the EU quota system in court, and authorities approved a fence in the southern border to prevent more people from crossing through Hungary. Migrants and refugees enter countries such as Slovakia and Hungary to reach host-friendly nations, such as Sweden, Austria, and Germany.

Orban and his administration have rendered aid and hosted some migrants, but authorities have ruled out the notion of mass resettlement. Though xenophobia has played a role in the refusal of migrants, the government’s reluctance also stems from Hungary’s lack of resources.

European Parliament for Hungary member Gyorgy Schopflin echoed this sentiment in a 2015 NPR interview, saying that nations, such as Germany, are in better positions to accept more refugee applications, and Hungary could accept a few thousand at most. Germans accepted over one million refugees in 2015 and has turned away more people aiming to cross the border.

Even though Germany is the most powerful member of the EU, many German towns struggle to accommodate large groups of migrants due to a lack of space and funding. Hungary is hesitant to give up some of its national sovereignty in the name of globalism, but policymakers will inevitably have to make some concessions to Brussels.

Hungary is an EU member and relies on Eurozone funding to finance infrastructure projects, but faces further isolation from the bloc.

In the past few years, policymakers instilled laws that changed the court system and restricted press freedoms, drawing criticism from the world community. Hungary’s economy has fared better than many other European economies, but the Eurozone slowdown has taken its toll on productivity, especially in a tumultuous world economy, and EU wrath could lead to unforeseen consequences.

The bloc has considered punishment and increased monitoring of Hungary for its alleged mistreatment of migrants, including human rights restrictions imposed on citizens.