Migration: Do Putin, Orban prefer a Christian Europe?

At the September 18th, 2018 Hungary – Russia Bilateral talks, Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin discussed a number of important issues as they pertain to both states. This included various financial and trade agreements, the construction of a Russian natural gas pipeline running through Hungary and to the rest of Europe, as well as covering a number of cultural and ideological questions. The dialogue took place in a constructive manner, despite both countries belonging to opposing military alliances.

“Conservative” migration politics do not equal nationalism or a fascist mentality, as is trendy to throw around nowadays by those NGOs with ‘globalist’ financiers. In 2015 for example, an NGO policy paper advocated for up to 1 million migrants to be relocated to Europe – annually.

‘White man’s burden’ is a common justification for the current wave of mass migration – Europe in its far and recent past has indeed taken part in keeping these countries poor and underdeveloped. But while the EU is one bloc – EU countries are not homogeneous. Many have no affiliation to NATO wars or an imperialist past. Also, each EU country differs in its economic capacity to sustain migrants vis-à-vis the centralised quotas imposed on them by Brussels.

Mass-migration can place a real burden on society, whether it is in the form of a lack of facilities and infrastructure that is available, increased taxation on locals, its effects on the labour market, or the social cohesion and/or disunity.

Hungary’s Viktor Orban is known for protesting the migration quota – so much so that the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has once greeted him as “the dictator.” In these particular talks, it appears Orban’s concerns are cultural as he fears for the future of a predominantly Christian country. President Putin insinuates that Europe, in fact, encourages mass-migration through significant social benefits and bonuses. Who does this stand to benefit?