Hungary Seeks EU Compensation for Border Protection Costs Amid Legal Showdown

Hungary is pursuing legal action to compel the European Union to reimburse 2 billion Euros spent on border protection. The conflict stems from Hungary's restrictive immigration policies, which resulted in hefty EU fines. Hungary plans to negotiate, but may escalate to suing the European Commission.

Hungary is exploring legal avenues to compel the European Union's executive commission to reimburse the 2 billion Euros it has spent on border protection, a minister revealed on Thursday. This move could further strain relations between Hungary and the EU over its restrictive immigration and asylum policies.

The Hungarian government has directed its Minister for European Affairs to engage in negotiations with the European Commission to resolve the issue. The conflict has already resulted in Hungary being fined 200 million Euros for violating EU asylum rules, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, announced at a news conference.

Gulyas stated that Hungary is prepared to litigate against the European Commission if necessary. Hungary, which has faced continued tension with the EU over its anti-immigration stance, is also considering offering free transport to Brussels for asylum seekers granted protection, intensifying the ongoing dispute.

(With inputs from agencies.)