The Impact of Hungarian Anti-Immigrant Policies on the Decline of Refugee Inflows 2015–2020

Eka Nurdiansyah; Ali Maksum; Mohammad Reevany Bustami; Dina Suhaimi

doi:10.58421/gehu.v5i5.1740

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58421/gehu.v5i5.1740

Authors

Eka Nurdiansyah Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
Ali Maksum Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
Mohammad Reevany Bustami University of Science Malaysia
Dina Suhaimi University of Science Malaysia

Keywords:

Anti-Immigrant Policy, Hungary, Refugee Crisis, Migration Governance, Securitization

Abstract

The 2015 European refugee crisis created significant political, economic, and social challenges for European Union member states, prompting Hungary to adopt restrictive anti-immigrant policies to control refugee inflows. While previous studies have examined Hungary’s anti-immigrant discourse and the broader refugee crisis, limited attention has been given to the effectiveness of these policies in reducing refugee arrivals through an integrated perspective of securitization, populism, and public policy. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of Hungary’s anti-immigrant policies on the reduction of the refugee crisis between 2015 and 2020. This research employed a qualitative descriptive design using a library research approach. Secondary data were collected from books, peer-reviewed journal articles, official reports, and relevant online publications and analyzed through qualitative descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that stricter asylum regulations, reinforced border security, and anti-immigrant political campaigns significantly reduced refugee inflows while strengthening public support for the government’s security-oriented migration policies. The study concludes that Hungary’s anti-immigrant policies effectively reduced refugee arrivals by combining restrictive migration governance with securitization strategies. These findings contribute to migration governance literature by demonstrating how security narratives and populist politics shape immigration policy outcomes and provide practical insights for policymakers facing large-scale migration crises.

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