Hungary and Poland defend migration policies amid European unrest

Hungary and Poland are utilizing recent civil unrest in France and Italy to reinforce their strict migration policies. Leaders in both nations have signaled that they will not relax border controls despite the ongoing violence and social instability seen elsewhere in Europe.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the destruction in other nations clarifies why Hungary advocates for the strictest possible approach to migration, asserting that the government will not dilute its policies under pressure. Similarly, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that Poland would not repeat the mistakes of other European countries regarding illegal migration.

Recent Eurostat data highlights the demographic differences in the region: France reported nearly 10 million foreign-born residents and Italy approximately 7 million, while Poland recorded roughly 1 million and Hungary fewer than 700,000. In Poland, about half of the foreign-born population originates from Ukraine.