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.
ALL ASYLUM SEEKERS FINALLY GET FOOD IN THE TRANSIT ZONES AT THE BORDER
After two weeks, all asylum seekers in the transit zones are now receiving food as a result of the intervention of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC). The HHC had to request interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on a case-by-case basis for two weeks to ensure that authorities provide food to detained asylum seekers whose claims were found inadmissible. In all cases the ECtHR granted the requests and ordered the Hungarian government to provide food to the 8 affected persons. The Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office seems to have given up its starvation tactic as it began to provide food to everyone detained in the transit zone, without the need for further interim measures. We welcome the positive change in the authorities’ practice but without legislative changes, asylum seekers can still be deprived of food any time.
Menschenrechtler klagen an: Ungarn lässt Asylsuchende hungern
Ungarn verweigert laut einer Bürgerrechtsorganisation bestimmten Asylbewerbern weiterhin Nahrung. Betroffen sei aktuell eine junge Frau aus Afghanistan, sagte Andras Lederer vom Ungarischen Helsinki-Komitee der Nachrichtenagentur dpa. Sie habe gegen die Ablehnung ihres Asylantrags in erster Instanz Berufung eingereicht. Lederer rechnet für die nächste Zeit mit bis zu 140 ähnlichen Fällen in den zwei Transitzentren. Offizielle Zahlen dazu gibt es nicht. Die Transitzentren liegen unmittelbar an der ungarisch-serbischen Grenze. Die Asylbewerber können diese Einrichtung nur Richtung Serbien weiter südlich verlassen.
HUNGARY: ASYLUM-SEEKERS WITH INADMISSIBLE CLAIMS ARE DENIED FOOD IN THE TRANSIT ZONES AT THE BORDER
A new inadmissibility ground, a hybrid of the concepts of safe third country and first country of asylum, is in effect since 1 July 2018. The new provision stems from amendments to the Asylum Act and the Fundamental Law but it was only put to practice now, in mid-August. The application of the new inadmissibility criterion means asylum claims are rejected and claimants become subject to alien policing procedures. Despite challenging the rejection of their asylum claim in court, they are expelled from Hungary and ordered to stay in the transit zone, where they are denied access to food. This amounts to inhuman treatment and an absurd legal situation.
Keine psychologische Betreuung mehr in den Transitzonen
Innenminister-Treffen: Herrmann empfängt ungarischen Amtskollegen
Beide Minister betonten, wie wichtig es ist, die EU-Außengrenzen zu kontrollieren und zu schützen. Pinter versprach jene Flüchtlinge aus Deutschland zurückzunehmen, die in Ungarn erstmals EU-Boden betreten haben. Flüchtlinge aber, die aus einem anderen EU-Land kommen – für die sei Ungarn nicht verantwortlich. Daher halte Ungarn das Dublin-Abkommen zu hundert Prozent ein, so der Minister.
Übersetzung des „special immigration tax“ Gesetzes
Hungary toughens migrants stance with ‘propaganda’ tax
Hungary’s parliament has continued the country’s crackdown on migrants by adopting a law that imposes a tax of 25 per cent on non-governmental organisations if they engage in “propaganda activity that portrays immigration in a positive light”.
European Commission – Migration and Asylum: Commission takes further steps in infringement procedures against Hungary
The European Commission has today decided to refer Hungary to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for non-compliance of its asylum and return legislation with EU law. The Commission has also today sent a letter of formal notice to Hungary concerning new Hungarian legislation which criminalises activities that support asylum and residence applications and further restricts the right to request asylum.
EU-Kommission verklagt Ungarn
Die Europäische Kommission verklagt Ungarn vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof (EuGH). Das teilte die Kommission am Donnerstag mit. Die Asyl- und Rückführungsvorschriften des Landes sind aus Sicht der Behörde nicht mit dem EU-Recht vereinbar. Die Kommission leitete im Dezember 2015 ein Vertragsverletzungsverfahren gegen Ungarn ein, bei dem es um die Asylgesetze des Landes ging. Die Behörde sei der Auffassung, dass die meisten der vorgebrachten Bedenken immer noch nicht ausgeräumt sind, heißt es in der Mitteilung. Deshalb gehe sie nun zur letzten Stufe des Vertragsverletzungsverfahrens und verklage Ungarn vor dem EuGH.