Fidesz: ‘Stop Soros’ bill is already under attack

The group leader of ruling Fidesz said on Thursday that “a confidante” of US billionaire George Soros “has mounted an attack” against the Hungarian government’s new migration-related bill.

János Halász responded to Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner Nils Muiznieks stating concern about the just submitted “Stop Soros” bill that covers the conditions by which migration support organisations may operate and a tax on donations made to those NGOs among other measures.

In his statement Muiznieks said that, if passed by parliament, the regulations will introduce “further arbitrary restrictions to the indispensable work of human rights NGOs and defenders in Hungary”.

He stated concern that civil organisations failing to meet requirements set in the law could be subject to sanctions, including a fine and ultimately dissolution.

The commissioner raised further concern over the proposal posing a risk that “arbitrary restrictions may be applied on the freedom of movement of persons involved in refugee assistance at the border”.

“These proposed measures raise particular concerns because of the likelihood that they will be applied to organisations and individuals who carry out activities in the field of protecting the human rights of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees that should be fully legitimate in a democratic society,” he said.

Muiznieks also expressed concern over the Hungarian government’s portrayal of migrants and migrant support NGOs as “a national security threat” calling on the government to refrain from penalising, stigmatising and restricting the work of these NGO-s and human rights defenders.

Halász said the commissioner has attacked the bill because it could effectively halt migration, which works against the so-called Soros Plan aimed at settling millions of migrants from Africa and the Middle East in Europe including Hungary.

The Hungarian government will not allow that, he said.

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