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CPAC PANEL DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON MIGRATION, CHALLENGES

 

A roundtable discussion focusing on challenges posed by migration was held with the participation of European and American experts at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest on Friday. Hosting the discussion, Ernő Schaller-Baross, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, noted the Hungarian government’s firm position maintained since 2015 that the borders of Hungary and Europe must be protected and steps must be taken in the migrants’ countries of origin and transit. He said that Hungary had faced constant “attacks” from Europe over the fence along its southern border, and Brussels had only reimbursed only some 2 percent of its border protection costs.
Chris Farrell, of the American conservative activist group Judicial Watch, noted heavy migration into the United States. During his presidency, Donald Trump concluded an agreement with Mexican authorities, enabling migrants to submit asylum applications to the US while they’re still in Mexico, he said. The Biden administration put an end to that measure. By now, some 7,700 people are intercepted on the border daily, and some 15,000 cross the border, he said. Daniele Scalea, leader of the think-tank Machiavelli Institute, called for EU treaties to be revised, as they put the rights of migrants ahead of national interests. He proposed jointly adopted, effective and tight controls at the EU’s external borders to alleviate the pressure on Italy.