Hungarian Lawmaker Blasts EU 'Hypocrisy' Over Border Controls

Marton Gyongyosi, the Hungarian deputy chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said that it was "cynical" of Western European countries to impose border controls within the border-free Schengen Area.

BUDAPEST (Sputnik) — Decisions by several Western European nations to impose border controls running counter to Schengen rules, calls into question EU criticism of Hungary’s anti-migrant fence, Marton Gyongyosi, the Hungarian deputy chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said Monday.

In late August, Hungary completed construction of a barbed-wire fence to prevent undocumented migrants from entering the country through Serbia, a move condemned by Brussels.

"Western politicians say one thing but do another. It’s hypocrisy. We are criticized for defending the [outer] Schengen border, while they are closing inner ones. Denmark has closed the border with Germany, and Germany – with Austria," the lawmaker told RIA Novosti.

Gyongyosi, of the right-wing Jobbik party, said it was "cynical" of Western European countries to impose border controls within the border-free Schengen Area.

"This shows that they are unable to abide by the Schengen agreement or respect mutual interests," he said.

Gyongyosi complained that tens of thousands of mostly Syrian refugees could be left stranded in Hungary after Austria and Germany shut them out with tighter border regulations.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants have entered the European Union through Hungary since the beginning of 2015. Last month, Vienna and Berlin relaxed migrant registration rules for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees camped out in Budapest’s central rail station to ease the burden on Hungary.

However, on Sunday Germany said that it had reached its capacity for receiving migrants and imposed temporary restrictions on its border, prompting other EU nations to warn of a domino effect that could unravel the Schengen agreement.