Hungary, Bulgaria Refuse To Sign Afghan Refugees Statement

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Hungary and Bulgaria broke ranks with the European Union on Monday as the only EU states not to sign a declaration calling for all Afghans wishing to leave to be allowed to do so.

The U.S.-backed statement was a joint effort by more than 60 nations to enable Afghan refugees to flee safely amid reports that the Taliban group has begun executing U.S. allies.

However, Hungary’s right-wing government condemned the withdrawal of American-led forces from Afghanistan.

Levente Magyar, a Hungarian state secretary with the foreign ministry, warned that Hungary would not take in refugees fleeing the country after its takeover by the Taliban.

In published remarks, he said the government would not make Hungarians pay for the “flawed geopolitical decision” of the U.S. military withdrawal by accepting refugees “without any kind of restrictions.”

Bulgaria seemed to agree with that assessment, however, the other 25 EU member nations signed the declaration welcoming Afghans in Need of protection.

Under Hungary’s anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a fence was built in 2015 along its southern border with Serbia to halt an influx of migrants fleeing war, persecution, and poverty.

Most refugees arrived from the Middle East and Africa. Magyar said told state-run news agency MTI that Hungary’s border fence would be used to deter a potential wave of refugees from Afghanistan.

However, he added that the government is assessing how it can help those Afghans who have worked as interpreters or in other capacities for Hungarian troops.

It came amid mounting international concerns about the plight of those who helped the U.S.-led coalition and minority Christians amid reports the Taliban is executing allies.

Taliban forces use lists with names of former translators, guards, and other helpers of the Western troops who had search “house-to-house” to find them, several sources said.

Local journalists are also targeted. The reported executions and detentions increased insecurity for refugees. Already half-million people have been internally displaced this year, according to the United Nations
refugee agency.

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said UNHCR discussions with the Taliban “may at times be difficult.”

Grandi told The Associated Press (AP) news agency that most of the displacement in recent weeks has been within Afghanistan. However, he appealed to other countries to keep their borders open and take in any refugees who could flee in the future.

Hungary wasn’t among the nations eager to do so.

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