The Hungarian parliament has recently approved a new piece of legislation which will radically tighten border controls, and install numerous camps along its southern border to Serbia. The policy will target refugees and asylum seekers both already in Hungary, and those seeking entry and will detain them in these camps, in shelters made of shipping containers, until their appeals have been processed.
This new policy comes shortly after President Trump’s signing of a modified version of the Muslim Ban and may reflect a new paradigm of severe anti-refugee legislation.The Hungarian Prime Minister is an outspoken supporter of President Trump’s more nationalistic policies, in particular, the “Muslim ban” so as such, this new policy may be slightly inspired by US actions.
It seems very reminiscent of the recent immigration reform to deport all Latin American undocumented immigrants to Mexico regardless of citizenship.
Criticism
This new policy has already received some criticism from major human rights groups, and the UN’s Refugee group the UNCHR.A spokesperson for the UNCHR, Cécile Pouilly released a statement regarding the policy, saying:“This new law violates Hungary’s obligations under international and EU laws” and that it will have a significant “impact on women, children, and men who have already greatly suffered.”
Benjamin Ward, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch has said:“The European Commission should not stand by while Hungary makes a mockery of the right to seek asylum”
Hungary in the Refugee Crisis
It is unknown if this international criticism will affect the future of this policy.
However, this is not the first time Hungary’s response to the refugee crisis has been criticized or received international judgment. A few days ago guards at the Hungarian border fence in construction were reported to have severely beaten a group of asylum-seekers and even took selfies with the victims. Before they were forced to flee back across the border to Serbia.
Earlier in the year a Petra Lazlo, a Hungarian camerawoman was sentenced to three years’ probation for attacking refugees running from the police in 2015, at one point tripping over a man with a child in his arms.
Hungary’s unusually vicious treatment of refugees is due to its far right government. In 2016, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called migrants a “poison” and a threat to what he thought was Europe’s Christian heritage and identity.
