BUDAPEST —
The Hungarian government has reiterated its "firm opposition'' to a plan by the European Union to require countries to share the burden of migrants who are arriving in Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
Janos Lazar, who leads Prime Minister Viktor Orban's office, said Thursday it was "out of the question'' for Hungary to take in such refugees and the country would try to block any EU quota system.
Hungary has seen a huge jump in the number of asylum seekers reaching the country through its southern border with Serbia. Lazar said if the flow continues at the current pace, asylum requests could reach 100,000 by the end of the year, compared to 18,900 in 2013. Most quickly move to Germany and other EU destinations to the west.
