EC asks government on migrant rules in administrative letter – UPDATE

Brussels, October 7 (MTI9 – The European Commission has sent an administrative letter to the Hungarian government to ask for information about legal amendments that entered force in mid-September in connection with the migration crisis, an EC spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.

Natasha Bertaud declined to reveal details but said the questions concerned Hungary’s regulations on refugees and migration. The EC sent the letter on Tuesday, she added.

Bertaud also confirmed that the government had two weeks to reply. On the basis of the information provided, the commission will start dialogue with the Hungarian authorities, she said.

Benedek Javor, MEP of the Dialogue for Hungary party, published the letter in a blog entry.

The letter referred to a preliminary evaluation by EC services of Hungarian legislation passed in July and September, concerning refugee regulations, border control, powers of the police and national security, and raised a number of concerns in terms of the stipulations and implementation of some of those amendments.

In its letter, the EC finds it problematic that under the new legislation asylum applications filed at the border with Serbia can be almost “quasi-systematically” dismissed, as well as a lack of effective remedies to challenge the decision.

New sanctions against illegal entrants, a lack of guarantees for violators’ right to defence, closure of border crossings, involving the military in border control, as well as a lack of special procedures for children are also among the issues raised by the Commission.

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