Hungary seeks Iran’s help stopping Afghan migration to Europe
Hungary’s controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a vocal critic of Muslim migration to Europe, and his government believes Iran can help stop the flow of people.
Iranian officials discussed migration to Europe, trade and more with a visiting Hungarian delegation today.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian hosted his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto and an accompanying trade delegation in Tehran. Szijjarto said the movement of Afghan refugees into Hungary will cause “security and epidemiological threats.” He said Iran can “play a significant role” in stopping the migration wave, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Hungary and other European states are concerned about a recent uptick in migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and elsewhere seeking to enter the European Union. Many Afghans are trying to escape the country due to the recent Taliban takeover, which resulted from the US military withdrawal.
Iran hosted around 780,000 Afghan refugees in October 2020, according to the United Nations. This figure does not include the many thousands more who arrived this year in response to the Taliban victory. Iran has also sent back tens of thousands of Afghan refugees this year.
