Under the change, access to an asylum procedure could be denied to asylum-seekers who first pass through a list of countries the Hungarian authorities have deemed “safe”, including Serbia and Macedonia. Anyone who simply transited through those countries, regardless of their country of origin, could be rejected. Hungary has seen a spike in anti-refugee rhetoric and actions following an increase in the number of migrants and asylum-seekers entering via the Balkans. According to the NGO Hungarian Helsinki Committee, as of 10 July 2015, 99% of those who have applied for asylum in Hungary since the beginning the year – or 86,000 people – entered the country through Serbia.
