France Cannot Criticize Hungary for Fencing Off Borders – Lawmaker

France’s criticism of eastern EU member states for their controversial policies toward migrants is unwise and disrespectful of their right for an independent migration policy, a French lawmaker told Sputnik on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday criticized Eastern European nations' "scandalous" migration policies, pointing toward Hungary's newly built fence as an example of these nations' "extremely harsh" anti-immigration stance.

"France needs to respect the sovereignty of other countries; it is unwise and unfair to act so roughly, to be so impolite with a foreign country [that] has a right for an independent policy," Nicolas Dhuicq asserted.

Hungary has completed the construction of a 108-mile fence on its southern border with Serbia over the weekend, drawing criticism from other members of the European Union.

"Instead of spending a lot of money on social welfare for migrants and other policies, we should help their countries develop as many of those who arrived are economic migrants and they simply want a better life for themselves and their children," Dhuicq argued.

The Hungarian government had earmarked the equivalent of $79.8 million for the fence's building costs, in addition to $23 million set aside earlier.

Some of the funds are expected to be used to set up tent camps in rural areas for the migrants and refugees, some 150,000 of whom have entered Hungary in 2015, gradually replacing housing in cities and towns.