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Draft amendments to asylum law in Hungary will drive refugees to Western Europe

On Monday 7th March 2016 the Interior Ministry proposed amendments to the migration- and asylum law in Hungary. Among others, the draft suggestions abolish all integration support for refugees, codify detention of Dublin deportees, and much more. At this point we have no other option than to call upon all member states of European Union not only to vocally condemn this latest move in the Hungarian government’s war against refugees, but also to immediately stop all Dublin deportations to Hungary.

Please see details of the law in English in here, and in Arabic in here.

The Dublin Regulation: Why are less asylum seekers sent back to Hungary?

In the last weeks and months less and less Dublin transfers to Hungary have taken place, because of several reasons: systematic detention, poor access to protection and to integration, among others. The detailed reasons why those transfers have been partially stopped are explained in detail in a report by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. Among others, the report outlines how detention is systematic, which is against EU law and means that often no individual reasons are given for the detention, that people enter detention even though there is no necessity for detention, alternatives to detention are not chosen) and that lasts for too long.

See our latest blog post for an overview.

The Balkan Route operates like an ecosystem: an update on restrictions of movement

The Visegrad governments maintain that integrating Muslims into European societies is impossible. From this false premise, they reason that refugees, who are often also muslims, are security threats to the EU. “If it were up only to us Central Europeans, that region would have been closed off long ago,” Orban said in a news conference with Poland’s Prime Minister. “Not for the first time in history we see that Europe is defenseless from the south … that is where we must ensure the safety of the continent.” In late February, in his annual speech, Orban continued to claim that “there shall be no lawless urban neighbourhoods, or immigrant riots” and „gangs shall not hunt our wives and daughters. ” We assume Orban is referring to underprivileged neighborhoods in Western European cities, where problems are rather related to class and poverty than to ethnicity or religion, and we don’t even need to point out how only three of the Cologne attackers were refugees, despite the widespread hysteria. Read more on the Migszol blog!

Refugees and homelessness

Migszol prepared a small video that tragicomically portrays how difficult it is for refugees to find an apartment in Hungary. Many landlords do not know anything about refugees, and are reluctant to rent their apartments to them because of this lack of knowledge.

For refugees finding adequate housing is the first step in their new life in Hungary after the refugee camps. Menedék offers some help for them in the flat-hunt, but more help is needed. Watch this video to see Mussa's experience!

Refugee Fun

First a little peak to the history of Hungary and refugees...

"As the first 60 Hungarian refugees arrive in the United States, the vanguard of 5000 who fled the bloody Soviet repression of their homeland, while they were on route to Macgurie air force base in New Jersey, the world's reaction to the Russian bloodbath in Hungary swelled to a chorus of outrage with the leading neutral nations joining in denunciation. For those who escaped, some 50 000, the free world opened its doors and hearts… a deserted army camp, transformed into a reception centre, homes and jobs are flooded in, so many that an additional five to seven thousand might be admitted in before the year's end. Many have friends our relations here. These modern pilgrims, brace the new world!"