This study employs a qualitative comparative case analysis to explore the differing migration diplomacy strategies of right-wing populist regimes in Türkiye and Hungary, focusing on their interactions with the EU. Türkiye acts as a key gatekeeper for migration into Europe, while Hungary opposes EU policies, using migration diplomacy to bolster nationalism and Euroscepticism. The research examines the EU's challenges in maintaining its principles while engaging with these right-wing populist governments from 2004 to 2024, particularly in the context of the 2015 migration crisis.