The Hungarian government will follow the Dutch lead and request to "opt out" of the EU asylum and migration rules, stated the Hungarian Minister for European Affairs, János Bóka, on Wednesday.
"Drastic action is needed to stem 'illegal' migration," Bóka wrote in a social media post last night. "the Hungarian government will join the Netherlands in asking for an opt-out from EU asylum and migration rules, if a Treaty amendment allows it," he continued.
In a follow-up post, Bóka said the country will "remain a committed member of the Schengen area" while promising that the necessary legal and administrative steps will be taken.
The announcement was made on the same day that the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration sent an official letter to the Commission asking for an 'opt-out' for the Netherlands from the EU asylum and migration rules. The current Dutch cabinet has promised to introduce a strict asylum regime in the country.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Commission confirmed that such an opt-out request would only have practical implications in the case of an amendment to the EU treaty, which is not expected to take place.
The Dutch request of "impossible opt-outs" shows a "Brexit playbook unfolding", explained Dutch MEP, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (D66/Renew Europe), in a press release.
"By trying to placate the extremists, the Dutch conservative parties are making the same mistake as Cameron once did. They are sowing the seeds of disappointment, only to bring Wilders' dream of a Nexit closer," said Gerbrandy.
Belgium remains a believer that migration within the EU should be managed in collaboration with all member states, a spokesperson for Belgium's outgoing State Secretary for Asylum & Migration, Nicole de Moor, told The Brussels Times yesterday. The country's priority is to implement the European Asylum and Migration Pact, explained the spokesperson.
