Hungary is now facing a new EU infringement procedure over the controversial release of hundreds of convicted smugglers. Fines will follow upon conviction.
At the end of April, the government of right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered the release of some 800 foreign smugglers. The only requirement the prisoners had to meet was to leave the country within 72 hours. The government objected to the increasing number of traffickers in prisons and the associated cost to taxpayers. According to this data, traffickers currently make up 13 percent of all prisoners in the country. These are 2,600 people from 73 countries.
Budapest: “Brussels favors human trafficking model”
The April decision particularly aroused Austrian displeasure, which subsequently tightened border controls with neighboring Hungary. In addition, the Hungarian ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Vienna. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjartó has strongly condemned the proceedings for violation of the treaty. The “human trafficking model” works “because Brussels has a policy that promotes immigration,” he explained.
Nehammer digs at Orbán
The Hungarian government now has two months to address the concerns of the Brussels authorities. Budapest generally follows a strict anti-migration policy. Despite the earlier disagreements, the heads of state or government of Austria, Hungary and Serbia recently campaigned for more border cooperation and the fight against people smuggling at a joint migration summit. During the joint press conference with Orbán, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) publicly distanced himself from his counterpart after lavishly praising himself on migration policy and highlighting his country as the only place in Europe free of migrants. “It is true that the irregular migrants are not in Hungary, but 80 percent come to Austria through Hungary and then we have 109,000 asylum applications and Hungary has 45,” Nehammer responded to Orbán’s words.
Source: Krone
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