Belgium has nominated Labib as Ursula von der Leyen’s new European Commissioner. She is known for her hard-line stance against Budapest. For example, during Belgium’s EU presidency, Labib urged EU governments to consider taking steps to strip Hungary of its voting rights when it takes over in July.
The Hungarian government announced in late August that it was prepared to offer any migrant trying to enter Hungary a one-way ticket to Brussels if the European Court of Justice ruled that Budapest was forced to adopt a “no-detention” refugee policy.
Last Friday, Deputy Interior Minister Bence Letvari reiterated the idea and held a press conference outside a bus bound for Brussels to make Budapest’s message clear.
Nicole de Moor, Belgium’s state secretary for asylum and migration, also condemned the idea, saying it “shows a lack of respect for European institutions and common policies”.
The policy is similar to an approach taken by several southern U.S. states, which sends thousands of new migrant workers by bus or plane to other states.
