Hungarian Prime Minister Suggests EU Security Depends on Italy's Migrant Policy

ROME (Sputnik) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the security of the European Union largely relies on the success of the anti-migrant policy of Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. The two politicians, who are known for their tough stance on migrants, met in Milan on Tuesday.

“The security of the European Union depends on Salvini’s success. We are urging him not to step back. We are ready to provide any possible assistance to protect borders,” Orban said at a joint press conference with the Italian Prime Minister, as quoted by the RaiNews2 broadcaster.

Hungary has proved that the flow of migrants could be stopped both “legally and physically,” while Italy is demonstrating that the maritime migrant entry points could also be closed.

At the same time, Salvini urged French President Emmanuel Macron to refrain from “giving lessons to foreign governments” on the migrant issue and instead open France’s borders for migrant coming from Italy.

Hungary has long been critical of the European Union's open-door policy, initially introduced at the onset of the migration crisis, and opposed the mandatory migrant relocation quotas.

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Budapest’s stance prompted the European Commission to launch its first infringement procedure against Hungary over its asylum legislation in December 2015.

On Thursday, Salvini said that Italy was no longer a refugee camp and that his goal was to implement the toughest policy toward illegal migrants arriving in the country by sea, similar to the Australian "No Way" principle, which has cut nearly all access to the continent to migrants arriving by boat.

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