Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding reimbursement for Hungary’s border protection expenses, Index reported on Monday. The Prime Minister underlined that while Hungary has defended the Schengen external border for a decade, it has received neither political nor financial support from Brussels, but instead faces unprecedented daily fines.

According to the report, the Prime Minister referred to von der Leyen’s recent remarks in Poland, where she declared that physical barriers protecting the EU’s external borders are a shared responsibility. “Hungary has financed the protection of a significant Schengen border section entirely from its national budget,” Orbán wrote, noting that since 2015 Hungary has prevented more than one million illegal migrants from entering the EU.

Orbán argued that Hungary deserves the same recognition and financial backing as other member states that have erected barriers against migration pressures. He stressed that migration is increasingly being used as a tool by organised criminal groups with links to terrorism, often aided by NGOs.

Warning that millions could set out from Africa in the near future, the Prime Minister urged the Commission to provide financial support to all border states without discrimination. “Hungary remains committed to European solidarity and will continue to defend the Schengen border and the security of our citizens,” he concluded.

The letter was reportedly also sent to all members of the European Council, signalling that Orbán intends to raise the issue before a wider European audience.