On January 19, 2018, numerous media outlets (including Euronews, Index, Origo and Figyelo) published allegations about Migszol which are entirely untrue. The coverage relates to Bernadett Szél’s external advisor’s ostensible previous affiliation with Migszol.
The news pieces have several factual mistakes connected to Migszol. We are not a registered organization, and nobody works for the group. Everyone is a volunteer, and nobody gets paid. We do not receive any funding. We don’t have registered members, and only Migszol can be asked that who is, or has been, our member and who not. Migszol has never been consulted about the person in the news, and none our members has ever worked with LMP or Bernadett Szél. The claim that Szél's advisor used to be an employee of Migszol is not only untrue, but impossible. We ask all the news outlets who have distributed this claim to correct it immediately and clarify that Szél's advisor has not been a member or employee of Migszol.
The news pieces have several factual mistakes connected to Migszol. We are not a registered organization, and nobody works for the group. Everyone is a volunteer, and nobody gets paid. We do not receive any funding. We don’t have registered members, and only Migszol can be asked that who is, or has been, our member and who not. Migszol has never been consulted about the person in the news, and none our members has ever worked with LMP or Bernadett Szél. The claim that Szél's advisor used to be an employee of Migszol is not only untrue, but impossible. We ask all the news outlets who have distributed this claim to correct it immediately and clarify that Szél's advisor has not been a member or employee of Migszol.
Furthermore, the connections that hirado.hu creates between Migszol and terrorism are without any basis in reality. We strongly condemn any act of terrorism. We work for the rights of people who seek asylum, who often flee their countries exactly because of terrorism. There is also a mixup between independent groups who work towards on similar goals. We are Migszol Csoport, which started in Budapest in 2012. Other groups include Migszol Szeged which formed in Szeged in 2015 and stopped working recently, and Free the Roszke 11, which was formed in 2016. Even though we support each other’s work, all these groups are independent from each other. Migszol supports the fight for the rights of Ahmed H. exactly because we believe that he is a target of an ongoing political show trial.
To further clarify the claims hirado.hu makes, in 2015 we did not provide humanitarian aid but collected interviews from people stuck in Keleti. Based on these interviews, we wrote a report on the situation. Since 2012, Migszol has collected testimonies from people on the move and shared them in the form of blog posts and short testimonies lately for example about experiences in the transit zones as well as about border violence.We have also shared information on how the Hungarian asylum system works to audiences in Hungary and abroad. We have organized several demonstrations against the harsh, brutal and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. Among others, the protests have addressed the structural homelessness of refugees, and the re-opening of detention in 2013, detention of asylum seekers in Debrecen in 2014, and several demonstrations against the national consultation, the building of the fence and the legislative changes in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, we also organized demonstrations about the worsening conditions for people seeking for protection and the unfair trials of the people accused for riots in Röszke. Information and pictures on these protests may be found on the blog, on our website and Facebook page.
To further clarify the claims hirado.hu makes, in 2015 we did not provide humanitarian aid but collected interviews from people stuck in Keleti. Based on these interviews, we wrote a report on the situation. Since 2012, Migszol has collected testimonies from people on the move and shared them in the form of blog posts and short testimonies lately for example about experiences in the transit zones as well as about border violence.We have also shared information on how the Hungarian asylum system works to audiences in Hungary and abroad. We have organized several demonstrations against the harsh, brutal and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. Among others, the protests have addressed the structural homelessness of refugees, and the re-opening of detention in 2013, detention of asylum seekers in Debrecen in 2014, and several demonstrations against the national consultation, the building of the fence and the legislative changes in 2015. In 2016 and 2017, we also organized demonstrations about the worsening conditions for people seeking for protection and the unfair trials of the people accused for riots in Röszke. Information and pictures on these protests may be found on the blog, on our website and Facebook page.
We are strongly against the tone in the media that suggests an automatic connection between being born in Kabul and national security and terrorism. We are sad to see how the government media tries to create fear instead of focusing real burning issues in Hungary, such as crises in housing, healthcare and education.
Finally, we are extremely sorry for Szilard Németh being so eager on commenting on unconfirmed claims about national security questions to attempt to score points in the upcoming elections. We truly hope that questions of national security are taken seriously enough not to be shared in such a manner. As Migszol, we don’t want to be instrumentalized in this hateful propaganda offensive. Finally, we wish strength and perseverance to politicians such as Bernadett Szél, who bravely fight the government’s propaganda campaigns before the election.
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