Hungary says will fight against EU migrant quotas plan

(BUDAPEST) - Hungary opposes the European Union plan for binding quotas across member states to admit migrants, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said Thursday.

"There can be no question of Hungary letting in migrants on the basis of the EU's quota," Janos Lazar told a press conference in Budapest.

The EU on Wednesday launched a controversial migration plan that proposes binding quotas on member states to admit refugees as requested by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"Hungary will do everything to prevent this plan in Brussels," Lazar said.

Member state Hungary has faced a huge influx of migrants recently, mainly from Kosovo, but also from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Most move on to Germany or Austria.

Lazar said the number of people seeking asylum in Hungary has jumped from 2,700 in 2012 to around 43,000 in the first quarter of 2015 alone, and could reach 100,000 by the end of the year.

Last Friday Orban called the EU quota proposal "mad and unfair" in a radio interview.