Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech interim Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (from L to R) attend a panel discussion in Budapest, Hungary on Jan. 26, 2018. The prime ministers of the Visegrad countries -- Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia -- all supported the rejection of illegal migration and agreed on the necessity of integrating the Balkans. (Xinhua/Szilard Voros)
BUDAPEST, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The problem of migration will not stay within the framework of Europe, it is obvious that the debate will go from the European to the international stage, and Europe will have to seek a solution to the problem, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said here on Friday.
He made the remarks during a panel discussion with his colleagues from other Visegrad countries -- Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Orban recalled the time when former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in 2004 that migration was a solution and not a problem, and advised Europe to open channels for immigration. "The Western European countries accepted Annan's advice in 2015, and the dilemma was whether we wanted to follow this road or not?" Orban said.
He also recalled that the current UN secretary-general has also said in the recent days that migration was a good thing and the world organization has been involved in developing an agreement so that migrants can be distributed globally.
"We will help those who need it, but do not accept migrants, we do not want to be an immigrant country," Orban said.
He said that it was important that the different countries of the Visegrad countries make their voices heard, because "our way of thinking is not an exception, but a normal behavior, common sense... we are not alone."
"Who decided, who allowed to let foreign people into the continent, who would assume the responsibility for this decision?" Orban asked.
According to him, all of this has been done despite the will of European people, without being interviewed, while people here are being asked in Hungary: what the Hungarians want to do? He was referring to a recent National Consultation about immigration in Hungary.
The other prime ministers of the Visegrad countries have also supported the rejection of illegal migration.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected criticism that the Visegrad countries sometimes had different opinions, for instance in mandatory quotas. "The Visegrad countries would always fight for Europe from morning to night, but also expect Europe to listen to them," he said.
Regarding the quotas, he also complained that in decision-making in the European Union, the Council of Ministers of the Interior had "bypassed" the European Council of Heads of State or Government.
Fico said Hungary did what it was expected to do in the migration crisis, defended the Schengen border, and it was a huge mistake to criticize the country for it.
At the same time, he stressed the importance of solidarity and therefore recommended that his colleagues of the Visegrad countries travel to Libya jointly to provide specific solutions. He called the mandatory quotas "completely meaningless."
Czech interim Prime Minister Andrej Babis believed that the Visegrad countries' views were the same in regards to migration. He said that the member states should jointly make European security.
Babis also said that the problem of migration should be solved outside Europe
Poland chief of government Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland was ready to financially help the needy, but only at the points from where illegal migrants were leaving. He also called attention to the fact that Poland accepted, for example, Ukrainians and Chechens fleeing war.
The prime ministers also discussed the topic of the enlargement of the European Union, in which they all agreed on the necessity of integrating the Balkans.
