The EU's Defining Moment On Immigration
By: TIM KELLY
The European Union is in the midst of a defining moment. And in many ways this moment is more critical than the sovereign debt crisis the Eurozone endured over the past six years.
As hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa – some truly fleeing persecution, many others migrating for economic benefit – seek refuge in what is perceived as a stable and peaceful Europe’s warm embrace, many EU leaders are at odds with each other over how best to address the pressures and economic uncertainties of this massive movement of people.
What’s become crystal clear is that the very worst victims of the European migration crisis are the migrant people. These people – victims of tyrannical, despotic governments that obstruct the freedoms and opportunities of the people they’re supposed to serve – now find themselves victimized by false promises of social benefits, welfare, and job opportunities from EU bureaucrats ensconced in Brussels, far from the front lines of this crisis.
Not only are such promises completely unaffordable, unreasonable, and unsustainable, they are also not remotely being delivered upon.
Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has emerged as an outspoken believer in securing European borders, speaking against the promise of sanctuary delivered by Brussels, and insisting that migrants’ countries of origin be brought to the table to step up, solve problems, and head off the crises.
In the face of many hurdles that come along with this unfortunate human tidal wave, and against a strong headwind of opposition from many of those not on the forefront of the crisis, Orban is demonstrating Hungary’s leadership in Europe by taking the logical, though difficult, steps necessary to protect migrants, the Hungarian people, and Europe.
Orban’s focus is locked upon upholding EU law while defending the Hungarian border from illegal immigrants to protect the whole of Europe from the dangers of nefarious characters looking to do harm to the European way of life.
And while those on the periphery of the immediate transit-point countries attack Hungary’s efforts to enhance border security and slow the free flow of migrants, other key transit-point countries such as Italy, Greece, Austria, and even Germany are quickly following Hungary’s lead.
In fact at a distance it’s easy for international onlookers to be critical of strict rules against welcoming migrants with open arms. After all the European Union’s open borders rules means that it should handle migrants collectively, however most countries don’t take their fair share of new immigrants because they do not have to.
The Dublin Regulation, an EU policy that requires migrants to remain in the European country in which they initially arrived until their respective asylum claims are fulfilled, has placed the undue strain of processing and accommodating hundreds of thousands of people on entry-point countries such as Hungary, Italy, Greece, etc.
This is more than simply a daunting task for countries that have seen migration flows increase 50 to 100-fold in recent months. It also presents a trap for those who arrive with the promise of a better life by forcing them to live in camps for an indefinite period of time.
But even if we put aside the wildly unfair hardship that many states – based simply on their geographic location within Europe – must endure as a result of mass migration, the financial strain placed on the whole of the EU as a result of mandatory quotas for accepting refugees is overwhelming.
Put simply, the fantasy of an open-arms welcome, complete with welfare benefits for all who arrive, is poor policy not only for Hungarians, but also for all EU member states.
The debt-driven European welfare system is showing ever more signs of collapse. Add to this bleak picture perpetually slow economic growth across EU states in conjunction with an unemployment rate just below ten percent and the sanctuary portrait painted by Brussels becomes completely untenable.
In recent days, as Germany and other Eastern European nations have begun to close borders and tighten security, it’s clear that Hungary’s initial response was the correct one. As Europe looks toward the future, it’s of critical importance to look to the Hungary model to protect and defend European values, to ensure safety for its citizens, and to move forward on a path to prosperity.