Parliament authorises mandatory medical checks for migrants

Budapest, October 20 (MTI) – Lawmakers on Tuesday voted to amend the health-care law to allow the chief medical officer to order asylum seekers to undergo medical screenings at a time of crisis.

The bill, submitted to the legislative body by Human Resources Minister Zoltan Balog, was adopted with 160 votes in favour, 5 against and 3 abstentions.

Under the new law, the location of the tests will be determined by the immigration office. The screening is to be carried out in the transit zone defined by Hungary’s border law if that is where the migrant seeks asylum. Before leaving the transit zone, the migrant will have to present a proof of having passed the medical test.

The bill also stipulates that during health crises, the cost of treatments which are not covered by health insurance will be paid for by public funds.

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