George Soros accuses Hungary of lying to the public over claims he orchestrated mass migration

The Hungarian-born billionaire financier George Soros has accused his government of lying over claims he helped orchestrate mass migration into the EU
The Hungarian-born billionaire financier George Soros has accused his government of lying over claims he helped orchestrate mass migration into the EU Credit:  Luke MacGregor/ REUTERS

George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire financier, has accused Budapest of lying as he attacked a national consultation that suggests he and the EU orchestrated a plan to flood Europe with migrants.

Last month the Hungarian government posted documents to eight million Hungarian households to canvass their opinion on a number of statements relating to what it calls the “Soros plan” on migration, which it claims would allow a million migrants to settle in the EU each year.

The consultation is the latest attack on Mr Soros by a Hungarian government that regards the octogenarian businessman as a national security threat. Last month, Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, ordered his country’s security services to investigate the “Soros network”.

An article published on Monday on Mr Soros’s website dismisses the existence of the “Soros plan” and accuses the Hungarian government of lying and making a series of false statements.

“The statements in the national consultation contain distortions and outright lies that deliberately mislead Hungarians about George Soros’s views on migrants and refugees,” the article says. “Hungarian government officials also falsely claim that George Soros is somehow controlling the European Union decision-making process.”

Hungary sealed the last gap in the barricade along its border with Serbia in September 2015
Hungary sealed the last gap in the barricade along its border with Serbia in September 2015 Credit: DARKO DOZET/ EPA

The article then picks off the statements on the national consultation document one by one, labeling them as false or a lie.

It pays particular attention to the million migrant claim. Although it concedes Mr Soros did say in 2015 that because of the war in Syria the EU would have to accept “at least a million asylum seekers” a year, it points out that a year later the financier reduced his estimate to just 300,000.

It also points out that he has called for the EU to “regain control of its borders,” a statement similar to those made by Mr Orban, who has called for stronger border security and ordered the construction of a fence on Hungary’s southern border.

As an explanation for Budapest’s attitude towards Mr Soros, the article claimed he was being cast as an enemy to distract Hungarians from corruption and “health care and education systems in distress”.

A Hungarian government official told The Telegraph that Mr Soros's attack was a "clear and direct sign George Soros has entered the Hungarian election campaign." Hungarians go to the polls in spring next year, with Mr Orban's Fidesz party going for a third consecutive term.

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