Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a formal letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, demanding that the European Union reimburse Hungary for the costs of protecting its external Schengen border. Based on information obtained by Index, Orbán emphasized that Hungary has prevented more than one million illegal border crossings since 2015, yet continues to face “unprecedented” financial penalties from Brussels — amounting to €1 million per day.
The letter, dated today, appears to be a direct response to von der Leyen’s recent remarks during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on August 31. Standing beside a newly built steel border fence on Poland’s border with Belarus, von der Leyen stated that the EU “takes the threat from the East seriously,” and pledged stronger support for Member States directly bordering Russia and Belarus.
She also announced that the EU would accelerate its SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defense financing program, mobilizing €150 billion to help countries bolster defense and security, particularly at external borders. Poland is set to be one of the program’s main beneficiaries.
In his letter, Prime Minister Orbán welcomed von der Leyen’s assertion that the physical protection of the EU’s external borders is a “shared responsibility.” However, he criticized the EU for not offering Hungary either financial assistance or political backing over the past decade.
Hungary has defended a major section of the Schengen Area’s external border for the past ten years, funded solely from our national budget,” Orbán wrote. “Instead of support, we have faced constant criticism and have been subjected to an extraordinary financial penalty of €1 million per day.”
The Prime Minister pointed to Hungary’s results, stating that “since 2015, we have prevented more than one million illegal migrants from entering EU territory thanks to our robust border defense system.”
He argued that Hungary deserves the same financial recognition and support as other Member States with high migration pressures, many of which have also built physical barriers at their borders “to protect national and citizen security.”
Orbán warned that illegal migration is increasingly being weaponized not only by state actors but also by organized criminal groups, some of which, he claimed, are linked to terrorist organizations and supported — knowingly or not — by NGOs.
These groups aim to funnel masses of illegal migrants into the Schengen Area via the Western Balkans route,”
he wrote.
He also cited forecasts predicting that “millions of potential migrants from Africa” could soon begin moving toward Europe, posing a long-term challenge to the continent’s security.
In the final section of the letter, Orbán issued a concrete request to the European Commission: provide direct financial assistance to border Member States without discrimination. He underscored Hungary’s continued commitment to European solidarity, promising to uphold “common European values” by safeguarding the Schengen border and the safety of EU citizens.
The letter was reportedly shared with all members of the European Council — a move suggesting that PM Orbán seeks to elevate the issue beyond bilateral correspondence and push it into broader EU political debate.
