In 2015, the European Union faced a significant increase in border crossings with neighboring countries. These journeys were made, for the most part, by people fleeing the intensification of the Syrian Civil War, moving with the intention of seeking refuge in European Union member countries, in search of better living conditions and security. This large migratory flow made evident the disparity in the reception of forced migrants in Europe, when some local governments refused to welcome refugees, exercising an unwelcoming stance. Hungary, led by conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán since 2010, stood out during this period due to its anti-migration stance and severely restrictive migration policies. On the other hand, when Russia carried out an invasion of the territory of the Ukrainian state, starting a war on the European continent, the Hungarian government decreed that it would receive and protect all Ukrainian refugees. In this sense, this work aims to carry out a comparative analysis of the reception of refugees by Hungary in both moments, interrogating how the representation of refugees as similar people or threats in political discourses can become a justification for the implementation of migration policies more or less restrictive.