Hungary violates EU rules by denying asylum to migrants
Hungary disregards EU laws and violates the rights of migrants by forcing them to initiate the asylum process at Hungarian embassies in Serbia and Ukraine.
This was stated in a ruling by the EU Court.
According to the mandatory ruling, the government in Budapest unlawfully obstructed the opportunity for filing asylum applications in Hungary. The document highlights that Hungary failed to fulfill its obligations under EU legislation by compelling migrants to submit applications at embassies located in third countries.
The Court reminded that in 2020, Hungary enacted a law requiring individuals seeking international protection to travel to Belgrade or Kyiv to personally submit their applications for entry permits to Hungary.
The European Commission believes that Hungary, by enacting these provisions, failed to fulfill its obligations under EU law. The rules oblige all EU member states to have common asylum procedures.
The Court stated that Hungary effectively deprives people seeking protection of their right to effective, straightforward, and swift access to the necessary procedures for obtaining asylum.
The Court believes that the imposed requirement cannot be justified by the aim of protecting public health, including combating the spread of Covid-19, as claimed by Hungary.
According to the ruling, the obligation to travel to a third country could expose individuals to the risk of infection and the spread of diseases.
Furthermore, the conditions imposed by Hungary constitute a disproportionate interference with their rights.
If the Hungarian government does not adapt its legislation to comply with this ruling, the European Commission may file a new lawsuit demanding the imposition of fines against Budapest.
It is also worth noting that EU countries reached an agreement on the resettlement of migrants. Despite opposition from Poland and Hungary, a qualified majority was sufficient to reach the agreement.
According to a proposal by Sweden, which currently heads the EU Council, countries will have three options: they can either accept migrants, pay for those they did not accept, or opt for so-called "operational assistance."
The "cost" of one rejected migrant was agreed at €20,000.
Estimates suggest that around 30,000 migrants may arrive in the European Union each year.
As reported by The Gaze, the Russian Orthodox Church handed over a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war to Hungary.
Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, stated that Hungary, as a state, was not involved in the exchange of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war with Russia.
However, three Ukrainians managed to return home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they continue to take active measures to repatriate the rest of the Ukrainian defenders who were taken out of the country.