Political director of the Hungarian prime minister, Balázs Orbán, was hosted by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on GB News for a discussion on migration policy, highlighting Hungary’s radically different approach to asylum and border control, as well as the sharp tensions between Budapest and Brussels over migration rules.
Farage opened by pointing to Hungary’s striking statistics: in 2024, only 30 asylum applications were accepted, while legal migration levels remained minimal. He asked how the country had managed to achieve what few others in Europe could. Orbán responded by emphasizing that the solution lies not in complexity but in determination. ‘There is a simple rule: you have to be able to protect your own borders. And if you are willing to do so, it’s quite easy to achieve this result,’ he said.
Orbán argued that the wider European political establishment lacks precisely this willingness. While leaders across the continent increasingly acknowledge the challenges posed by irregular migration, he claimed that few are prepared to follow through with concrete action. He pointed to 2015 as a turning point, when Viktor Orbán first warned of the dangers of uncontrolled migration, but insisted that nearly a decade later most governments still avoid the tough decisions.
The political director detailed how Hungary fundamentally rewrote its legal framework, discarding what he described as ‘liberal international and EU law’ that, in his view, effectively incentivized illegal entry. Under the new Hungarian rules, anyone who crosses the border unlawfully is immediately disqualified from seeking asylum. ‘Now it’s the other way around,’ he explained. ‘According to international law, you have to move in, you have to try to make it illegally. And then they are trying to legalize their illegal entrance. That’s the reality. If you’re not able to reverse it, then we are all going to go.’
Farage continued by pointing out the financial penalties Hungary faces. The European Court of Justice recently fined Budapest, exceeding €500 million for non-compliance with asylum regulations. Orbán called the punishment ‘ridiculous’, stressing that Hungary is in fact defending not just itself but the entire European Union. ‘We are protecting the borders of Europe and we have to pay a fine. The European Union should be protecting its own member states, not undermining their efforts,’ he said, adding that Hungary’s policy ultimately saves costs by preventing larger inflows of migrants.
He argued that Brussels’ stance exposes a contradiction: instead of rewarding member states that enforce security, the EU penalizes them. ‘We are defending Germany, Sweden, and all other countries,’ he remarked, calling the situation absurd.
After the broadcast, Balázs Orbán expanded on his remarks in a Facebook post, underscoring Hungary’s role as a frontline defender of Europe’s borders. He reiterated that Hungary had overhauled its asylum laws to eliminate incentives for irregular migration and insisted that Brussels should support, not obstruct, such efforts. His message aligned with a broader Hungarian narrative portraying the country as a protector of Europe in the face of what it sees as EU mismanagement.
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