Antimigrant Policy of Visegrad Group Countries

Abstract

The article is devoted to the policy of Visegrad countries in response to the migrant crisis in the EU and analyzes the current position of the countries on the migrant crisis regulation. Nowadays V4 countries state that the main instrument for solution of the refugee problem is implementation of strict border control. They provide harsh migrant policy at the national level that aims to restrict migrant inflow in the countries. The Visegrad countries contest EU migrant quotas as forced and challenge European position as violation of national sovereignty. On the other hand the EU insists on the realization of the unified migration policy and underlines the principle of solidarity as one of the key values of the Union. Furthermore, recent political changes, such as the growth of nationalist and populist parties inside V4, had a significant influence on the position of the countries. In other words, the policy towards migrant problem became more rigid, comparing to the other members of the EU. The confrontation has already led to the court examination and continues to be the principal cause of generaldeterioration of relationships between the old and new member states of the EU. Despite all the measures undertaken by the European Comission the countries of the region stubbornly stick to their opinion. Even Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which are not as intractable as Poland and Hungary, still follow the same policy. The migrant crisis draws attention to the brewing crisis and shows the weakening of the EU supranational institutions.