Amnesty International: Hungary strongest opponent to pan-European migration solution

London, February 24 (MTI) – Hungary showed the strongest opposition to a pan-European solution to the migrant crisis out of all European countries last year, and chose not to participate in collective efforts to overcome the crisis, Amnesty International said in its human rights report for 2015/16 released on Wednesday.

The report said that when the number of illegal entrants into the country started to increase significantly, Hungary “decided to seal itself off”. The report also discussed the government’s criminalisation of illegal migration and the impacts of its decision to erect fences on its southern borders to stem the inflow of migrants.

AI said that by the end of 2015 more than 900 people were charged with entering Hungary illegally, and subjected to expulsion proceedings.

Concerning freedom of association, AI said civil groups critical of the government’s policies were harassed by authorities and faced threats of losing their registration, AI said. The human rights watchdog noted that four civil groups responsible for managing and distributing the Norway Grants faced a criminal investigation and were threatened with suspension of their tax registration number.

The report said members of the Roma population continue to be at risk of forced eviction and still do not receive adequate protection from hate crimes.

Speaking at a press conference about the report, Orsolya Jeney, director of Amnesty International Hungary, said no country, including Hungary, can be proud of its human rights record in 2015. She said that despite having signed all major international human rights treaties, Hungary both legally and physically denied people fleeing conflicts the right to an effective asylum procedure. Despite the EU launching an infringement procedure against Hungary in December for breaching the bloc’s asylum law, the government has made it clear that it “does not wish to take part in any European initiative aimed at improving the situation of refugees and asylum seekers”, Jeney said.

Jeney said AI trusts that Hungary will “correct its bad practices” and “return to the European path”. AI is prepared to help the Hungarian government in guaranteeing human rights, she said.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters