Number of indictments in migration-related crimes falls in Hungary

The number of indictments in crimes related to migration has fallen from a total of 2,465 in 2016 to 83 in January-August 2017, the spokesperson of the chief public prosecutor’s office told the press on Friday.

Since September 2015, when the first wave of mass migration prompted the government to pass legislation and establish a double border seal to curb the impact on the country, a total of 4,673 procedures have been initiated, Géza Fazekas said. Of these cases, 3,606 resulted in indictments, he said. A full 80 percent were related to illegal border crossings, while around 13 percent, 473 cases, were brought against human smugglers, Fazekas said.

Key to curbing the number of cases was the July 2016 legislation confining illegal migrants caught within 8 kilometres from the border into the transit zones instead of camps throughout the country, Fazekas said. The number of charges brought in illegal crossings fell dramatically afterwards, with people smuggling becoming the most common charge, he said.

The prosecutor’s office has registered a total of 56 complaints filed against police or military personnel for transgressions against migrants, the prosecutor’s office said. Two cases ended with a fine imposed on the accused, with ten procedures still pending, it said.

As we wrote before, all three major European migration routes are currently active, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor said.

Photo: kormany.hu

Source: MTI