Afghan refugees fearing Taliban revenge arrive in Hungary
Szijjarto: Hungary ‘loyal ally’ in Afghanistan evacuation
Szijjarto told a press conference that the first aircraft involved in rescue operations had arrived to Budapest late on Sunday. It carried 173 people, including a signifact number transported on request by the US and Austria, he added.
In exchange, the government expexts allies, including US soldiers supervising the operations at Kabul airport, not to hinder the entry of persons to the airport that Hungary plans to take out of the country. He added that it was an unacceptable explanation that crowdedness had prevented them from allowing such persons to enter.
“We are not adding to the crowds, our aircraft is there, once people enter, they can board the plane,” he said.” The issue has been raised in several platforms and progress has been made but cooperation should be even more flexible, he added.
Szijjarto said there were Hungarian soldiers in the field helping the identification and entry of persons. In addition to Hungarian citizens that need to be rescued, there are hundreds of locals that used to personally help the Hungarian contingent in recent years, he added.
“We must of course treat them as partners in trouble and we are continually working on their rescue, as well,” he said, adding that only the people who cooperated with, worked with and helped Hungarian soldiers were affected.
Afghan refugees fearing Taliban revenge arrive in Hungary
The oldest person in the group is 64 and the youngest was born 144 days ago, the ministry said.
They are all in official quarantine and the Hungarian state will provide for them. They have received food and basic health and hygiene packages and clothing, the ministry added.
Justice minister: Government will protect Hungarian, European borders
Citing an interview she gave to Portuguese daily Expresso, Varga noted that Hungary had always argued that it also needed to look out for the interests of Europe and could not provide help by bringing trouble over to the continent.
“We believe it’s not a human right for someone to once get up on the other side of the world and decide to live in another part of the world from now on and thus we would have to let him or her in without any control,” Varga said.
This is why the government decided to protect the Schengen borders in line with the treaties, she said. Other countries have been incapable of doing this, yet Hungary has received no recognition, only criticism, she added.
“Nevertheless, we will endure, we will protect Hungary and the European borders, and we will bring help where it is most needed,” Varga said.
