Hungary urges 'rich Arab nations' to take in migrants

Hungary's populist prime minister called Friday on the US, Australia, Israel and "rich Arab nations" to take in some of the migrants flowing into Europe, while likening the influx to an "army".

"It's not fair, that the USA doesn't take any in, or only 10,000-15,000 refugees," Viktor Orban told radio station Kossuth.

It's not fair that Israel doesn't take any at all, that Australia doesn't take any at all, that the rich Arab countries are dithering

"It's not fair that Israel doesn't take any at all, that Australia doesn't take any at all, that the rich Arab countries are dithering," he said.

"Everyone looks to Europe, because someone sent the refugees out in this direction."

The comments by Orban, whose country has received almost 300,000 migrants this year, most of them just passing through en route to western Europe, follow his appeal at the United Nations General Assembly this week for "global quotas".

Last month, Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would in 2016 take in 85,000 refugees from across the world, including 10,000 from Syria.

Orban, whose stance has regularly raised hackles in Europe, also said that "at least 80 percent of the immigrants are young men. The group looks more like a young army than refugees."

According to figures released by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), almost 390,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea this year, only two thirds of whom are male.

Orban also said the "majority" of those arriving in Europe were "uneducated and only speak Arabic" and insisted that "economic migrants" not be allowed to pick and choose their destination.

Last month, Hungary sealed its southern border with Serbia, diverting the flow of migrants through Croatia and the western Balkans.

But Zagreb has been transporting them to its northeastern frontier with Hungary, which Orban has said he also intends to seal off.