Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is demanding the European Union refund the €1 million daily migration fine currently imposed on his country, describing the penalty as an "over-politicised decision" and "unacceptable" in the current political climate.
The fines stem from the previous government's failure to implement a 2020 ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). In 2024, Brussels fined Hungary a lump sum of €200 million, in addition to the daily penalty, after the ECJ determined that Viktor Orbán's administration had breached EU law by not guaranteeing asylum seekers the right to fair treatment. At that time, Hungary had erected a border fence with Serbia to prevent migrants from entering and required asylum applications to be lodged at its consulate in Belgrade, with the vast majority of these applications being rejected.
Cumulatively, Hungary has faced nearly €1 billion in EU fines as a result of these migration-related issues. Despite Péter Magyar's landslide victory in April's parliamentary election and his pledge to quickly resolve the matter of the daily fines, Hungary has incurred an additional €69 million in penalties since he assumed office.
Responding to a question on Thursday, Prime Minister Magyar asserted that Europe's stance on illegal migration is undergoing a significant shift. "It is clear that the attitude in Europe is changing completely, and now almost every member state, except one or two, wants to act – and will act – much more radically and forcefully in preventing illegal migration," Magyar stated.
He argued that it is "unfair and unacceptable that Hungary, in an entirely new situation, has to pay a million euros a day for a measure that others are also taking – perhaps through lower-level legislation or different mechanisms." This sentiment comes as the EU has recently begun exploring ways to externalise migration management to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the bloc. Examples include Italy opening an asylum processing centre in Albania, and the European Commission working with third countries to combat irregular entry and facilitate returns, alongside plans to establish return hubs outside EU territory.
Magyar confirmed that his government is actively collaborating with the European Commission to resolve the ongoing daily fines, all while continuing its efforts to keep migrants outside Hungary's borders. Beyond the migration penalties, the Prime Minister also called on the EU to reimburse €2 billion in post-pandemic recovery funds that were withheld in 2024 and 2025 due to missed deadlines.
"We will not let this money go to waste. The solution is urgent, but we will ask for this money back. I believe we will get it, since the budget requires a unanimous decision," Magyar declared. The EU is currently working towards finalising its next seven-year budget by the end of the year, a process that necessitates the approval of all 27 member states.
