Category Archives: European migrant crisis

Stage 3: Dehumanization

August 18, 2015 By in Bayer, European migrant crisis Leave a comment
Zsolt Bayer (left) and Viktor Orbán celebrate the anniversary of Fidesz's foundation.

When the figurative becomes literal: Bayer serves Orbán at the 2009 celebration of Fidesz’s foundation.

Zsolt Bayer is a pro-Fidesz journalist who, along with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, was one of 37 founding members of the party in 1988. Bayer served as one of the main organizers of the five pro-government Peace March demonstrations that took place in Budapest in 2012 and 2013. Although Bayer maintains no formal position in the Orbán government or Fidesz (though he did serve as the party’s press secretary for the first five years of its existence), his stated viewpoints can be regarded as an accurate reflection of the opinions of many party supporters and Orbán administration officials. Speaking about Bayer at the journalist’s 50th birthday party in February 2013, National Assembly Chairman László Kövér (another fellow founding member of Fidesz) said  “We have lived together through good and bad, trouble and joy. Not one single time have we disavowed one another, nor shall we” (source in Hungarian). Below is an Orange Files translation of an editorial that Bayer published in the August 15, 2015 issue of the largest-circulation pro-government political daily, Magyar Hírlap (source in Hungarian).

Unavoidable? 

It began on Tuesday. On the Island of Kos, in Greece, where seven thousand intruders (betolakodó) arrived recently. The population of the Island is not quite thirty thousand. The horde poured down on these thirty thousand unfortunate Greeks. The life of the island became paralyzed. Already several months ago. The tourists fled, the hotels are empty, the population is angry and desperate. The horde knows nothing about this. It just continues to flow. And it began on Tuesday. . . . 

See entire post.

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Scenes from the Great Migration: the Eastern Railway Station

August 16, 2015 By in European migrant crisis, photo gallery Leave a comment
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Migrants from Afghanistan.

On this day there are only a few hundred migrants waiting for the next train to Austria in the pedestrian underpass outside the Eastern Railway Station in Budapest, about half the number as there were a few days ago. The majority of them still young men in their twenties, though more and more families with young children and elderly are among those whom state-run television and radio call “border violators” (határsértő).

Today: an extended Iraqi family, including a blind women in her 80s, the relatives of a man who claims to be a former government energy official; several women with babies just a few weeks old, almost certainly born on the road; a group of barefoot men who calmly ignore stern orders to “go, go away!” from the Migration Aid distribution point until they get shoes; a Pakistani migrant who gives an open-handed Hungarian beggar a few coins from his purse.

See entire post.

Click on any photo to see gallery view.

See all 12 photos.

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Fortress Hungary

June 19, 2015 By in border barrier, European migrant crisis Leave a comment
Security fence along Bulgaria's border with Turkey (photo: Reuters).

Security fence along Bulgaria’s border with Turkey (photo: Reuters).

On June 17, 2015, Minister of External Economy and Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó announced that the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had initiated construction of a four-meter-high fence along the entire 175-kilometer length of the Hungarian-Serbian border in order to obstruct the flow of illegal immigrants into Hungary from Serbia.

The number of immigrants seeking asylum in Hungary has increased dramatically over the past two years, rising from 18,900 in 2013 to 42,777 in 2014 and 24,000 in the first two months of 2015. Most of these asylum-seekers have been from Kosovo, though an increasing number of them are from other countries, notably Syria and Afghanistan (source in English).

Most of those seeking asylum in Hungary arrive to the country illegally via Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and, finally, Serbia. A total of 54,000 people entered Hungary illegally in the first five months of 2015, or about 360 per day (source in Hungarian).

See entire article.

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Sign War I

June 10, 2015 By in European migrant crisis, propaganda Leave a comment
IF YOU COME TO HUNGARY YOU CANNOT TAKE AWAY THE WORK OF THE HUNGARIANS!

IF YOU COME TO HUNGARY YOU CANNOT TAKE THE WORK OF THE HUNGARIANS!

In June 2015, the Orbán government launched a 381-million-forint (1.2-million-euro) “informational campaign” connected to its National Consultation on Immigration and Terrorism (source in Hungarian). This campaign consists primarily of billboard signs displaying the following three messages, in Hungarian, to migrants who arrive to Hungary (source in Hungarian showing design of all three signs):  

IF YOU COME TO HUNGARY YOU CANNOT TAKE THE WORK OF THE HUNGARIANS! 

IF YOU COME TO HUNGARY YOU MUST RESPECT OUR CULTURE! 

IF YOU COME TO HUNGARY YOU MUST RESPECT OUR LAWS! 

See entire post. 

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National Consultation on Immigration and Terrorism

May 19, 2015 By in European migrant crisis, immigration, propaganda, terrorism Leave a comment
Consultation2

Original questionnaire.

Consultation3

Original letter of introduction.

During the second half of May 2015, the Orbán government sent its National Consultation Regarding Immigration and Terrorism to eight million voters in Hungary. The government estimates that its newest national consultation will cost 960 million forints, or 3.14 million euros (source in Hungarian). Recipients will have until July 1, 2015 to return the questionnaire to the Prime Ministry in a provided postage-free envelope. Below is an Orange Files translation of Prime Minister Orbán’s introductory letter as well as the 12-question consultation.

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION 

Esteemed Compatriots! 

In 2010 we Hungarians decided that we would discuss all important questions with one another before we make decisions. This is why we initiated national consultations regarding the country’s new Fundamental Law, our social security and improvement of the situation of pensioners, among other things. And this is why we have now initiated national consultation on the question of subsistence [megélhetési] immigration. 

See entire post.

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