Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia plot a win for EU’s anti-migration camp

Robert Fico, the populist Slovak prime minister, his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić believe that, unlike their European colleagues, they have a formula for dealing with migration.

Speaking at their meeting in the Slovak town of Komárno on Tuesday, Slovak PM gave those gathered a glimpse into the future, Bratislava-Budapest-Belgrade style.

“We are talking about building camps in migrants’ countries of origin or in safe third countries where migrants will be intercepted,” Fico said.

“We are talking about a better return policy because of the 100% of illegal migrants who arrive in Europe, 80% stay there, and only 20% we manage to get back.”

The free leaders indirectly praised the model of hot spot outsourcing Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni launched in Albania.

“There is a rebellion in Brussels against migration. Brussels’ migration pact is part of the problem, not the solution,” Hungary’s Orbán posted on X.

“The only way to solve the European migration crisis is by protecting our borders and stopping migration. This what we are here for.”

“In 2023, a decision was made to return 430,000 illegal migrants from EU countries, and just 84,000 have been returned so far,” concluded the Hungarian prime minister.

In the name of anti-migration trilateral cooperation, Fico and Orbán, both EU member heads of state, offered their full support to Vučić for Serbia’s accession to the bloc.

“We achieved results by working together, it was not easy, but this year, there are 80% fewer migrants than last year. We will continue to work together, and I believe that the results will be good,” said Vučić.

“At the moment, there are only 477 migrants in the reception centres of the Republic of Serbia. We will, of course, continue to do our work in the interest of Europe and our friends, our brothers in Hungary and Slovakia.”

At the same time, Vučić said that “Serbia will never host migrant camps for other countries like Albania.”

What’s in it for Belgrade?

While Slovakia and Hungary, as EU member states, could benefit from Serbia in stopping migrants at the borders, what are the advantages for Serbia?

Oliver Röpke, the president of the European Economic and Social Committee, believes that having advocates in the bloc will not bring major perks.

“We cannot have a fast track without fulfilling all the criteria. If some countries are fostering enlargement more strongly than others, then I have to say that I will insist that this will not be a superficial process. It must be a merit-based process that involves civil society,” Ropke explained.

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“We were always strong advocates for a common migration policy and to emphasise legal pathways migration.”

“I think this is important, and we should not only focus on how we can deport so-called irregular migrants as soon as possible, it must be really a balanced approach,” he concluded.

The new trilateral format seems to be growing while the Visegrad group suffers diverging views on the Ukrainian crisis.

Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia share the same soft approach to Russia, whereas Poland and the Czech Republic have pitched their tents with the anti-Kremlin, pro-transatlantic camp.

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“The BBB (Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade) format is an opportunistic forum to exchange views among leaders politically sympathetic to each other. Yet, the BBB wil never replace the Visegrad Group because its funds are still important,” Slovak author and journalist Andrej Matisak told Euronews.

“For Serbia, it is good to have two advocates (Hungary and Slovakia) within the EU when it comes to the enlargement talks,” Matisak concluded.