As the EU and major powers continue to struggle to deal with the fallout from the Brexit vote, its’ repercussions have already started to make its way around Europe as Hungary’s president, Viktor Orban a staunch opponent of the EU is attempting to bring up a referendum on migration.

“We need to fight to prove to people that it is possible to form an EU migration policy that is in line with the Hungarian national interest”, President Orban said referring to the plan by the EU to force EU countries to take in a certain amount of migrants, otherwise risk being fined.

Europe has been struggling to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis which has been caused by numerous factors including the Syrian civil war (almost into its fifth year), violence in Afghanistan and Iraq and also the numerous revolutions in North Africa which have placed countries without stable leadership.

“This is going to be a long struggle for which I will need a strong mandate, which cannot be ensured without a referendum”, President Orban continued in his statement.

Many EU countries have been welcoming of the migrants including the continent’s largest countries, Germany, France, and many of the Northern European countries as well, although the problems that have associated themselves with the crisis have been numerous in those countries, and have potential scared off countries accepting them.

Some of the countries, who have not been welcoming besides Hungary, include Hungary’s neighbor, Slovakia, Macedonia, Denmark and Austria (to a certain extent.). Many of these countries have placed an emphasis on increasing their border security by using razor wire and increasing troops along their border to physical block migrants coming from land.

“We think it’s stupid because this is exactly what will keep dividing Europe if countries will be asked to pay 250,000 Euros for each migrant they refuse to take” Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico said regarding the mandate penalty if countries do not accept the migrants.

Germany has taken in the most migrants so far since the beginning of the crisis, when a record 2 million reached the country in 2015. Germany is only second to Turkey for the amount of migrants in their county, a main reason being Turkey shares the border along its southern region with Syria.

The crisis has put a strain on emergency services within countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea as the migrants have taken to the Sea in often unseaworthy vessels and sinking halfway through the journey.

“We have a big problem with the proposed reform of the Dublin system” Prime Minister Fico continued in his statement.

Members who are known as Eurokeptic have been empowered by the Brexit vote pointing to the widespread displeasure throughout the continent toward Brussels over numerous issues, but focusing mainly on the bloc’s handling of the migrant crisis.

“Euroskeptic parties across the continent are cherry picking parts of the Brexit story to bolster their own domestic narrative” Otilia Dhand who is an analyst at Teneo intelligence said regarding the spread of anti-Brussels sentiment.

Hungary is one of the main countries in the route the migrants take through the land route on their way to Germany.

“This referendum is not good,” an anonymous Hungarian diplomat said of the proposed referendum.

“You can handle the bad ideas with the right means and this is maybe the most destructive means of all. This can have a damaging effect on Hungary.”

In summary, the EU should come up with a fair plan that would not force countries to take in large amounts of people they cannot care for and countries within the block should work together to come up with a plan to finally end the largest cause of the conflict, the Syrian Civil war so people could return to their country and live in peace.

Links to sources:

1. Reuters Link: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-hungary-orban-idUSKCN0ZH54H?il=0
2.  DW Migrant Numbers Link: https://www.dw.com/en/two-million-germany-records-largest-influx-of-immigrants-in-2015/a-19131436
3. Breitbart Turkey link: https://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/06/21/one-country-accepted-migrants-germany/