Hungary's Parliament Adopt Controversial Migration Measures

(Vatican Radio) Hungary’s Parliament has adopted asylum legislation that paves the way for a border fence to prevent the flow of migrants into the European Union member state, despite international concerns and a new report about abuses faced by refugees crossing the Balkans route. 

The updated legislation allows Hungary to reject asylum claims from people travelling from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan through other so-called safe countries without asking for asylum there.

It provides the legal framework for a four-metre (13-foot) high fence stretching along the 175 kilometre (109 miles) border with Serbia. 

Listen to Stefan Bos' report

 

Rightwing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had been pushing for the legislation.  "Hungary will seek to take adequate measures in cooperation with its neighbours," he said. 

However, "Hungary always cared about the interests of its neighbours, but now we have this wave of migrants coming from the South. On the other side, the EU, countries in Western Europe now want to send these migrants 

back to us, which is why there is pressure on us from the south and from the west. We know this is not a positive measure but we are forced to build this barrier," Orbán added.

U.N. CONCERNS

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and others have criticized the measures, saying it will weaken refugee protection in Hungary. And the UNHCR's central Europe representative Kitty McKinsey has also condemned government billboards with slogans, in Hungarian, warning migrants not to take Hungarian jobs and respect the culture. “What is unusual in Hungary is that in many countries when there is xenophobia, it’s raised by marginal parties, it’s raised by right wing parties, it’s raised by some fringe groups. What is unusual in Hungary is to see the government trying to whip up xenophobia," she said.

And the opposition Socialists have reportedly called it "revolting" that police are watching the government's "xenophobic" billboards, "instead" of protecting tax-paying citizens. 

However McKinsey noted that many Hungarians disagree with the perceived anti-Migrants campaign. In fact, activists of the 

have unveiled posters that tell migrants, in English, "Sorry about our prime minister". They also include slogans “Feel free to come to Hungary, we are already working in England”, referring to roughly half a million Hungarians who left the country in recent years, and "If you leave Hungary, be sure to come back."

It also comes after rights group Amnesty International accused Balkan countries of mistreating migrants passing through their territories on the way to the EU, saying people fleeing war were being "shamefully let down".In a report, Amnesty noted that, "thousands of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants -- including children -- making dangerous journeys across the Balkans are suffering violent abuse and extortion at the hands of the authorities and criminal gangs. Last week, Serbian police detained 29 police officers and nine customs officials suspected of corruption and abuse of power, accusing them of taking bribes of reportedly as much as 110 dollars per person to let migrants illegally pass through the border to Hungary.

Hungarian authorities say they can no longer cope as nearly 74,000 asylum seekers entered Hungary this year alone.