The participants of the Budapest Process signed the Ministerial Declaration on a Silk Routes Partnership for Migration on 19 April 2013.

The Budapest Process is an intergovernmental dialogue on migration issues launched in the Hungarian capital in 1993, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In the framework of the Budapest Process, more than 50 states, European ones as well as countries along the so-called Silk Routes and international organisations are discussing and looking for solutions for a broad range of challenges in the field of international migration and asylum issues. The chair of the cooperation is Turkey, while Hungary has the duties of the co-chair. Mr Sándor Pintér, Hungarian Minister of Interior participated at the historical Ministerial Meeting marking the 20th anniversary, thus reinforcing Hungary’s commitment to the cooperation. The Declaration on a Silk Routes Partnership adopted at the Ministerial Conference confirms the new direction of the cooperation, setting its geographical focus to the migration and asylum issues of the Silk Routes region (Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Iraq, and Iran).

The Declaration lays down six priority areas as follows: (1) better organise and improve conditions for legal migration and mobility; (2) support the integration of migrants and counteract phenomena of discrimination, racism and xenophobia; (3) strengthen the positive impact of migration on development, both in countries of origin and of destination; (4) prevent and counteract irregular migration, facilitate return and readmission of irregular migrants, combat criminal networks involved in smuggling of migrants; prevent and combat trafficking in persons, address its root causes and (6) provide adequate protection and support to trafficked persons, as well as promote international protection and the respect of the rights of refugees, in line with international standards.

Hungary as the co-chair of the Process would like to play an active role in the coordination of the concrete actions initiated by the Declaration, by which Hungary can further enhance its relationship with the Silk Routes countries. These projects will be facilitated with the financial support of the European Union.

(Ministry of Interior)