Hungarian justice minister says no to immigrants, because Gypsies already pose huge burden

If any further convincing is needed, in order to show that Fidesz has morphed into Jobbik, then the words of Hungary’s Minister of Justice, shared by Inforádió Friday morning, should suffice. László Trócsányi started off by attacking the European Union’s system of quotas when it comes to accepting and assigning refugee claimants among the member states. He then added that Hungary was already dealing with a huge influx of refugees, in significant part from Kosovo, noting that for Hungary the Balkans represented a priority and a problem, rather than the Mediterranean. He then explained why the Orbán government had no choice, but to say ‘no’ to more immigrants and refugees: Hungary can’t accept any more economic migrants, because it must tend to the integration of 800,000 Gypsies.

In other words, the Roma pose too big of a problem and the Orbán government’s hands are already full with them.

László Trócsányi, Hungary's openly racist Minister of Justice.

László Trócsányi, Hungary’s openly racist Minister of Justice.

The Hungarian left-centre weekly 168 Óra framed the story with this title: “It’s because of the Gypsies that we don’t want any refugees.”

The liberal 444.hu website noted that the debate on immigration has “reached new heights,” observing sarcastically that Mr. Trócsányi was a “genius” for connecting the issue of immigration with the Roma minority. The paper remarked that perhaps rather than suggesting that the Gypsies are to blame for Hungary not being able to support a compassionate immigration policy, one might consider that a whole slew of unnecessary soccer stadiums built by Mr. Orbán’s government and his friends or the massive corruption that permeates the government is the reason why there is no money, resources or energy  remaining to accept refugee claimants.

Dialogue for Hungary (Párbeszéd Magyarországért – PM), a small opposition green party, is already demanding that Mr. Trócsányi resign. The party’s spokesperson, Rebeka Szabó, said it was infuriating that the Minister of Justice would speak of the entire Roma minority as a burden for Hungary.

The Hungarian Liberal Party joined in the calls for Mr. Trócsányi’s resignation, adding that it is totally unacceptable for a government minister to judge Hungarians based on their ethnic or racial origins.

I should note that Mr. Trócsányi visited Canada this past March, where he came to negotiate with Stephen Harper’s government on “the regulation of migration” and, since Hungary has taken over the chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), to open the commemorations hosted by the Embassy of Hungary in Ottawa. Hungary’s participation in the IHRA clearly hasn’t made the Orbán government any more sensitive to issues of minority rights and anti-racism. 

I continue to believe that it is shameful, how the Government of Canada has turned a blind eye (more so than any of its partners), to the true nature of the Orbán regime.

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