The Home Affairs day of the Justice and Home Affairs Council took place in Luxembourg on 10 June 2022, organised by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, where Hungary was represented by Ambassador Tibor Stelbaczky.
At the Council meeting, ministers exchanged views on the Overall state of the Schengen area and adopted general approach on the Regulation amending the Schengen Borders Code, the Directive on information exchange and the Prüm II Regulation. The French Presidency presented the progress achieved in the area of asylum and migration, and ministers discussed the way forward. Other issues discussed included the strengthening of cooperation between the competent national authorities in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation, as well as an overview of Member States' efforts to address the refugee and humanitarian situation, as well as the criminal risks caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war. Over lunch, the ministers of interior had an exchange of views on the strengthening of the role of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in supporting Member States.
In his statement, Ambassador Tibor Stelbaczky stressed that Hungary continues to support the proper functioning of the Schengen area and the guarantee of the right to free movement. We can only accept measures involving internal border controls as a last resort, for a limited period of time, in compliance with the principles of necessity and proportionality. The European asylum reform must aim to prevent illegal migration, as well as the abuses of the asylum system and to ensure the protection of the external borders. We are interested in creating a strong system that is ready to cope with continuous migratory pressure, hybrid attacks and sudden crises. He recalled that since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the largest humanitarian operation in the history of our country is ongoing to alleviate the crisis caused by the war. He stressed that the security risks, the burden of the humanitarian crisis, the economic consequences of the conflict and the negative impact of the EU sanctions during the Russian-Ukrainian war are largely borne by the frontline Member States on the EU's eastern borders. Therefore, it is essential to identify additional EU financial resources that could be used to support, in particular the Member States neighbouring Ukraine.
