Hungary offers free one-way tickets to Brussels for migrants, asylum seekers

Hungary is prepared to provide free one-way tickets to Brussels for migrants and asylum seekers seeking entry into the European Union, according to Gergely Gulyás, Chief of Staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Associated Press reported this week.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest, Gulyás criticized a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice, which fined Hungary 200 million euros for repeated violations of EU asylum rules. Additionally, the court ordered Hungary to pay a daily penalty of one million euros until its policies align with EU law.

“Brussels wants to force us to let in migrants at any cost,” Gulyás said.

He added if the EU continued to pressure Hungary to comply with regulations that prevented the detention of migrants at its borders, the country would offer all migrants free transportation to Brussels.

“Hungary does not want to pay this daily fine indefinitely, so we will allow people to enter if they wish and provide a one-way ticket to Brussels. If Brussels wants migrants, it can have them,” Gulyás said.