Budapest, August 28, 2018 – CEU has been forced to announce the immediate suspension, with effect as of August 24, of its education programs for registered refugees and asylum seekers, the Open Learning Initiative (OLIve), together with the administration of its European Union-funded Marie Curie Research Grant on migration policy in Central and Southern Europe. CEU has been forced to take this action in response to Hungarian legislation in respect of refugees and immigration which came into effect on August 24. CEU’s action follows advice from our tax advisors in respect of potential liability for a 25% levy on our immigration related programs. We are suspending these programs while we await clarification of our tax and legal situation. CEU takes this opportunity to emphasize, once again, that the OLIve programs have provided educational training only for persons legally admitted to Hungary. We are proud of this work and of our research on refugee and migration issues in Europe and will seek all possible ways to continue this work in the future.
