Interior ministry proposes tightening asylum, migration laws

The ministry said the proposal to amend asylum-related government decrees by cutting benefits for asylum seekers and people who have been granted international protection aims to discourage them from seeking asylum in Hungary solely for economic reasons.

Under the amendment, asylum-seekers would only be eligible for some types of benefits that Hungarian citizens are entitled to. But they would be denied housing and schooling benefits.

The second proposal – which would amend a total of eight migration laws – would restrict migrants’ stay in reception centres to just one month and require that they “create the conditions for their legal stay in Hungary” within that timeframe.

The proposal would also make it legal to detain migrants who may later be sent back to other countries from Hungary under the Dublin III rules. The current rule is that only migrants taken back by Hungary under the agreement can be detained.

The ministry also wants the immigration authority to review eligibility for asylum every three years. Whoever no longer meets the requirements would have their refugee status withdrawn.

The rules for applying for a residence permit would also be tightened, as a significant number of citizens from developing countries have been found to be abusing the application system in a way that later prevents authorities from expelling them.

The new rules regarding residence permit applications would, however, make it easier for the state to issue residence permits “out of national economic interests”.