The early release of convicted smugglers is causing diplomatic tensions between Vienna and Budapest. “We want complete clarification, we think that is a completely wrong signal,” Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on Monday. They will “bring the Hungarian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”. Schallenberg spoke to his Hungarian counterpart on Sunday.
In recent days, there have been “disturbing” media reports that Hungary appears to be seeking to release hundreds of convicted human smugglers, Schallenberg explains. Budapest’s argument that having foreigners in prisons is too costly contradicts Hungary’s “seemingly clear line” about human trafficking in the past.
According to a regulation issued late last month by Viktor Orbán’s right-wing Hungarian government, captured smugglers from abroad will be released if they leave Hungary within 72 hours. Hungarian criminal law provides for long prison sentences of two to 20 years for people smuggling. Chancellery Minister Gergely Gulyás justified the move by saying that imprisoning foreign criminals would be too expensive.
Source: Krone
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