Here is Cal Thomas on Hungary’s sound immigration policy:
Two summers ago on a visit to Budapest, I asked the spokesman for the Hungarian government about the growing problem of migrants coming into Europe. He told me Hungary doesn’t have a migrant problem because they don’t have welfare programs. So, he said, migrants continue their travels to other European countries that do.
That’s not the end of it, though. Hungary has created programs to help migrants stay in their own countries so they won’t feel the need to flee to Europe. It is a model the U.S. should consider adopting beyond dwindling and often misdirected foreign aid.
The government calls it “Hungary Helps Project.” It delivers aid directly to places affected by conflict, the driving force behind most migration. The assistance does not go through corrupt governments, but to churches and charities more easily monitored, who presumably have good motives.
It seems far less expensive and more politically advantageous than the floodtide threatening the unity and character of European nations and increasingly the United States.
The government says in just two years the program has helped 35,000 people to stay home. These include persecuted Christians, who are often ignored by governments and the media. In Nigeria, where thousands of persecuted Christians have been murdered, Hungary has provided 1 million euro ($1.2 million USD) to the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri. The money is being used to aid in the country’s educational and health infrastructure, which have been damaged by repeated attacks from the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.
An additional 500,000 euro (about $560,000 USD) has gone to social rehabilitation programs administered by Christ in Nations, which helps refugees return to their homes ravaged by the extremist group. It also supports agricultural efforts designed to improve the self-sufficiency of households, eliminate food shortages and treat diseases.
Read more: Patriot Post
Image credit: Photo of Budapest by John Biver.
