The head of the European border agency Frontex told a German newspaper this week that “nothing can stop” migrants from crossing the continent as countries call for immigration reform.
“This story of 'stopping people' and 'closing borders' cannot always be our story,” Hans Leitens, head of Frontex, told the daily Die Welt. . “I tell you this clearly: there is no wall, no fence, no ocean, no river, nothing that can stop people from crossing our borders.”
German news outlets reported that at least one million people applied for asylum in the European Union last year, with most trying to enter Germany. Europe has been struggling with immigration issues since the migrant crisis hit Europe in 2011.
In November alone, Germany received the most applications from asylum seekers, accounting for 37,000 (32%) of the 118,000 applications filed across the EU.
Czech Republic proposes stricter gun laws to Senate after country's worst mass shooting
Mr. Leitens became Director-General of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (often referred to as Frontex) in March 2023, but for most of the past decade he has been a member of the agency's management board and has been a member of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (often referred to as Frontex). He also served as the resident governor of the Security Bureau. The Hague.
Migrants from Tunisia and Libya arrive on an Italian Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard) ship on Pelage Island, Lampedusa, Italy, August 1, 2020. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)
He took a very liberal position on Europe's migrant crisis, saying that politicians were taking a superficial approach to the situation.
“sometimes [they] “They pretend that just by putting a cap on the top of a bottle can stop immigration,” Wrightens said. It's about finding a balance.” Respect for fundamental rights. ”
German defense minister says Germany is not ready to defend itself from Russian threat
European countries already have their own immigration avenues in place, ranging from legal changes to immediate initiatives such as Britain's highly controversial bill to deport migrants from Rwanda who arrive in the UK without permission. I've been pursuing it.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dismissed criticism and opposition to the bill, saying it would completely ignore international law to deport migrants.
European Border and Coast Guard Director-General Hans Leitens speaks to the media at European Commission Headquarters Berlaymont in Brussels, Belgium, January 19, 2022. (Thierry Monas/Getty Images)
“A treaty with Rwanda has been signed and a bill to recognize Rwanda as a safe country has been passed without amendment in our elected chambers,” Sunak said at a press conference last week. The UK Supreme Court declared the policy illegal in November.
In an earlier interview with Fox News Digital, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjarto spoke about the country's efforts to protect its borders through “physical infrastructure” such as walls.
Nationwide anti-government demonstrations bring thousands to the streets in Slovakia
“You have built an infrastructure to protect [the border]”And this is the only way,” Szijjarto said. “Therefore, it is impossible to defend our borders without building physical infrastructure with simple human resources. So physical infrastructure, whether it is a fence, a wall, a buoy on the water, You need to do that, otherwise you are vulnerable.”
This June 23, 2015 photo shows illegal migrants captured on the banks of the Tisza River near Szeged, 170 kilometers southeast of Budapest, Hungary. (Zoltan Gergely Kelemen/MTI via AP)
He said Hungary firmly maintains its right to decide who enters the country, calling it a “sovereign decision” to preserve the country's “character and identity.”
“We just don't want to change the nature of this country. Hungary should remain a country of Hungarians, and I understand that conservatives here and in Texas, Republicans are standing up for this as well. Liberals are against it. [them]So it’s very similar in Hungary and the United States,” he said.
Thousands of students rally in Greece against government plan to allow private universities to be established
France, one of Europe's freest countries, continues to press ahead with its own controversial immigration bill that introduces measures such as restricting access to social security and tough immigration quotas, says AFP reported.
Even some members of French President Emmanuel Macron's parliament voted against it or abstained.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Several bills have been defeated, and the final text of the bill announced this week includes measures to streamline the deportation process for delinquent aliens. The bill leaves in place measures to regularize undocumented workers in industries facing labor shortages, a move that has drawn the ire of right-wing politicians.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
