The Belgian Foreign Minister and future EU Commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, has criticized Hungary's plan to send buses with asylum seekers to Brussels.

The announcement was made by Budapest a few weeks ago, but on Monday it caught the attention of the minister. Lahbib called it a "provocation that goes against European obligations".

"Migration policy is a common challenge that must be tackled in an orderly manner and with solidarity by all member states," Lahbib wrote in X.

Belgium has appointed Lahbib to the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen. She is known for her tough stance towards Budapest. During Belgium's EU Presidency, Lahbib urged EU governments to consider moving forward with a procedure to disenfranchise Hungary – which took over the presidency in July.

The Hungarian government announced in late August that if the European Court of Justice ruling forced Budapest to adopt a "no-detention" policy on refugees, it was prepared to give every migrant trying to enter Hungary a ticket with a direction to Brussels.

Last Friday, Deputy Interior Minister Bence Rétvári repeated the idea and to clarify Budapest's message held a press conference in front of the buses with Brussels as their destination.

Nicole de Moor, Belgium's secretary of state for asylum and immigration, also denounced the idea, saying it "shows a lack of respect for European institutions and common policies".

The Hungarian policy resembles the approach taken by some southern states in the US, where thousands of recent arrivals have been put on buses or planes to other states.