Bakondi: Hungary puts forward several proposals on tackling migration

Hungary advocates introducing an EU-wide system for asylum applications to be submitted outside the bloc, and it also champions tight controls of the external borders, Gyorgy Bakondi said.

He noted increasing pressure posed by migration along three main routes: most migrants trek from Arica to the Canary Islands, while along the second most dangerous route, many Muslims are transported to the shores of Italy on small boats from the Sahara region, he said.

At the same time, the Balkan route has seen a big uptick in migration, though the Hungarian border is now under less pressure thanks to cooperation between Serbian and Hungarian police, which started last October. Afghan people smuggling rings have been forced out of the region, relocating to the Bosnian-Croatian border, he said.

Bakondi hailed Italian efforts to help the governments of Tunisia, Libya and Algeria, providing incentives aimed at preventing migration from their shores.