In Hungary, 1,634 prisoners convicted of human trafficking were released this year between the beginning of this year and October. The Ministry of the Interior cited prison overcrowding and high prison costs as justification.
The Hungarian government decided to release foreign smugglers this spring. According to the decree, they must leave Hungary within 72 hours of their release from prison. They must serve the remainder of their sentences in their home countries.
Hungarian prisons for Hungarians?
According to State Secretary Bence Rétvári, housing and feeding foreign convicts from different cultures entails higher costs. Hungarian prisons do not serve the purpose of holding prisoners from different cultures, the online portal “444.hu” quoted the State Secretary as saying.
According to him, Hungarian prisons are overcrowded precisely because of the more than 2,000 human traffickers. This group still makes up 8.5 percent of all prisoners.
The opposition sees a terrorist threat
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) accuses the government of right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of flooding Hungary with terrorists by releasing smugglers en masse. Interior Minister Sándor Pintér is expected to make a risk analysis on the possible consequences for national security.
After all, a current national security report shows that smuggling gangs operating in Hungary are in contact with the Afghan Taliban. With their help, members of Islamist terrorist organizations from the Balkans were able to cross the Hungarian border, the DK said in the broadcast.
Criticism from the EU and Vienna
At the end of April, Orbán’s government decided to release some of the 2,600 people imprisoned in Hungary at the time for human trafficking. Austria criticized this and subsequently tightened border controls with Hungary. The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Hungary in this case.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
