Press

Countries in the region took different approaches to immigration historically, with Denmark the strictest, Sweden the most welcoming, and Norway somewhere in between. But the patterns are now reversed, and the roles of the three Nordic countries have shifted dramatically. An analysis by our researcher Emese Kovács.

“Multi-faceted, occasionally surprising, generally bloody, and almost always tragic” is how participants at the international conference organised by Migration Resesearch Institute characterised the connections between the ruthlessness of political violence and the criminal underworld. Presenters covered a range of criminal and terrorist gangs, all groups sharing the elements of weapons, money, drugs, and violence.

A Horizont podcast on the political and social context of the upcoming Polish presidential elections with MRI analyst Róbert Gönczi. Topics of discussion included Polish-Ukrainian relations, the social perception of Ukrainian refugees, and the radicalization of discourse on migration, along with the challenges posed by discursive radicalization for political actors of the moderate center.

Criminal organizations are increasingly active along the Western Balkan migration route, including on the Hungary-Serbia border. Migrants report regular abuse and ill-treatment. An analysis by Migration Research Institute.

Migration Research Institute’s analyst Róbert Gönczi spoke on the evening news program of TVP World, the international news channel of Polish public television, about the challenges facing the Italian migration centers in Albania, and what the outcome of the Albania plan could mean for externalisation policy at the European level.

In capital investment, the EU is not doing bad at all in expansion on the African continent. Moreover, European countries are often better at adapting to local conditions than some of their biggest competitors, such as China. Hungary also plays an active role in economic cooperation with Africa. MRI’ director spoke on VG podcast.

While Sweden champions solidarity with Ukraine in its foreign policy, within its own borders it turns a cold shoulder to those fleeing the war. Behind the promises of international support, the reality is becoming increasingly apparent: limited rights, scarce access to social services, and an uncertain future for Ukrainian refugees. MRI researcher Emese Kovács’s analysis.

The European Commission would add Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, Tunisia and India to the list of safe countries of origin. Irregular migrants from these countries who do not qualify for international protection would be subject to a fast-track procedure within three months, then sent back to their countries of origin. An MRI analysis.

Europeans have been living with the many consequences of illegal migration for a decade now. European leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand – while more and more Member States, like Hungary, are saying no to a common immigration policy. Migration Research Institute analyst Róbert Gönczi joined the discussion on HírTV’s Komment program.

Although the United States produces large quantities of oil, it still cannot survive without Iraqi exports. The Arab country’s fields contain enough reserves for almost a hundred years. Analysis by Meszár Tárik, Senior Research Fellow at Migration Research Institute.

Germany’s governing coalition announced tougher migration policies, but implementation is hampered by legal and diplomatic barriers and an overburdened administration. Meanwhile, political opponents argue that compromise solutions offer no real answers. Our senior analyst, Edith Krisztina Dócza, was interviewed by the daily Magyar Nemzet.

Although both Syria and Iraq are potential sources of migration waves, little is discussed in European public discourse concerning their importance. To fill this void, The Long Brief asked Migration Research Institute’s Meszár Tárik and Omar Sayfo for help to understand the recent happenings and the background dynamics of the Mezopotamian states.

Hungarian immigration policy was one of the topics at an international conference held at the U.S. Congress building, preceded by a panel discussion at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, where a book summarizing Hungarian migration policy was presented. The conference featured our director, Viktor Marsai among the speakers.

What impact could Donald Trump’s presidency have on the global aid system? And how may it affect migration trends? Migration Research Institute analyst Róbert Gönczi discussed the issues on HírTV’s morning program “Napindító”.

Illegal border crossings at the Hungary-Serbia border are not over, they were just transformed: new tactics, increasingly organized smuggling networks, and cat-and-mouse fighting between border guards and migrants. Migration Research Institute researcher Géza Dobó’s report from the Csongrád-Csanád stretch of the border.

Poland continues to support the war in Ukraine, but it is growing less supportive of refugees. With presidential elections coming up in May, political and social debates about the presence of Ukrainians and the benefits they receive are heating up. Attacks on Ukrainians and discrimination in general are on the rise. An MRI publication.

The Kremlin is manipulating African and European migration routes to divide Europe, undermine the credibility of border protection, and distract attention from support for Ukraine. Until Europe finds an adequate response to its threat, Russia can continue to threaten the continent with instrumentalised migration as an effective weapon. A report from Róbert Gönczi, MRI analyst.

“We are connecting Hungary with the markets of Central Asia through Kazakhstan”, said Arman Sakkaliev, Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan, who discussed Hungarian-Kazakh relations with Migration Research Institute’s senior analyst Edith Krisztina Dócza. The minister also shared which Hungarian dish is his favorite.

The European Commission’s proposal to modernise the rules on sending back irregular migrants would see them deported to third countries. Meanwhile, the EU is investing billions in South Africa, and both Brussels and the U.S. are lobbying for African mineral resources. Viktor Marsai, director of Migration Research Institute spoke on HírTV.

For the last decade, Idlib has served as the base for the Islamists now controlling the whole country. During this time, the city in northwestern Syria was transformed irreversibly – the question is whether the model could also apply to all Syria. A report from the Islamist citadel by MRI’s Head of Research Omar Sayfo.

African migration flows are driven not only by political instability and a deteriorating security environment, but also by increasing poverty that drives people to flee, according to Olukayode Bakare of Durham University. The expert  was in Budapest as a participant on an MCC panel discussion. He was interviewed by MRI senior analyst Krisztina Edith Dócza.

A summit of EU leaders was convened in response to President Trump’s recent indications that Europe must take more responsibility for its own defense. They agreed to increase defense spending to strengthen the EU’s position in the face of the Russian threat. MRI’s analyst Róbert Gönczi spoke to Polish international news network TVP.

Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been in prison for decades, recently called for the disbanding of the organization and the laying down of arms, prompting the party leadership to officially declare a ceasefire from Saturday. This could bring about major changes in Turkish-Kurdish relations. Analysis by MRI senior researcher Meszár Tárik.

The increasing wave of violence in Western Europe is due to a lack of deportation capacity, as the perpetrators are often from a migrant background, Róbert Gönczi, an analyst at Migration Research Institute, told the morning current affairs program on national radio.