Trump says Hungary's border stance keeps crime down, says Europe 'flooding' with migrants

President Donald Trump said Friday that European leaders should respect Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban "very strongly because he's been right on immigration." 

"Look what's happened to Europe with the immigration. They have people flooding Europe all over the place. And it's hurting it. The crime rates are way up. A lot of bad things are happening. His crime rates are very low. They're the same as they always were, which is very little crime. Because he's kept it the way it should be," Trump said as he hosted Orban at the White House. 

"He was right on immigration. They were wrong. They are flooding Europe with people from all over the world. And Europe is becoming a different place. And I tell the leaders all the time, ‘you better stop or you're not going to have Europe anymore.’ It's a very dangerous thing they're doing," Trump added. 

"So on migration issue, just for clarification, in Hungary, the number of illegal migration is like that — zero, zero because we have a crystal-clear system. If somebody would like to come to Hungary first, he should ask for that," Orban said. "If he gives the permission, they can step in. Nobody can step on the territory of Hungary without having permission from the Hungarian authorities. This is the regulation. Simple, while working." 

President Donald Trump, right, meets with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Cabinet Room of the White House, on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)

"What is the consequence of that? If we are under sanctions, financial sanctions of European Union, because we don't let the illegal migration to come to Hungary and to the European Union as well. So we have to pay just to inform you, we have to pay every day €1 million as a punishment... this is the absurd world we are living now in Europe," Orban added. 

The Associated Press reported that in June 2024, the European Union’s top court ordered Hungary to pay a $223 million fine for depriving migrants of their right to apply for asylum and an additional fine of 1 million euros per day for failing to comply. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.