Hungary is preparing to sue the European Commission for reimbursement of costs related to protecting the EU's external borders, according to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, reports Digi24.
Gergely Gulyas announced on Thursday that Hungary has spent 2 billion euros on border protection and is seeking financial compensation from the EU.
This comes in the wake of Hungary's 2015 decision to close a major transit route for asylum seekers, a move that increased domestic support for Orban but faced criticism from other EU members.
Gulyas highlighted that despite Hungary's substantial expenditure on safeguarding the Schengen borders, it has not received significant EU financial support.
The Hungarian government has assigned European Affairs Minister Janos Boka to negotiate with the European Commission over a ruling concerning Hungary's migration policies.
Gulyas emphasized that Hungary's red lines in these negotiations include the results of a referendum in which the Hungarian people opposed unwanted settlement within the country.
He reaffirmed Hungary's commitment to defending its borders from illegal migration and offering transport to Brussels for asylum seekers.
The announcement comes as Germany has recently introduced border controls with several neighboring countries to tackle illegal immigration, starting September 16.
Gulyas criticized this move, suggesting it undermines the EU's free movement area and follows a trend of ineffective border management within the EU.
He recalled Orban’s 2015 warning that failure to strengthen EU border policies could lead to the collapse of the Schengen Agreement.
