Facing record migrant flows, Hungary tightens asylum system

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's parliament on Monday approved amendments tightening the country's asylum system, a response to the record number of migrants and refugees reaching the country over the past year.

The plan, sharply criticized by the U.N.'s refugee agency, was approved by lawmakers from the governing Fidesz party, its Christian Democrat allies and the far-right Jobbik party.

The new rules, for example, will allow authorities to cancel asylum requests if the petitioners leave their designated residence for more than 48 hours without authorization and prolong the detention of asylum seekers.

The UNHCR said the amendments "would make it impossible for people fleeing persecution to access international protection in Hungary."

Lawmakers also approved a proposal facilitating the government's plan of building a 4-meter (13-foot) -high fence on the border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants and refugees.

The government said last week that construction of the temporary fence, initially to be built in around 10 locations where officials said human traffickers were the most active, would start within weeks and be completed in a few months.

"Economic migrants should be stopped at the borders of Hungary and, therefore, Europe," Fidesz faction leader Antal Rogan said ahead of the parliamentary vote. "There is no good solution to this issue other than setting up the security border seal," which is what the government officially calls the fence.

Nearly 72,000 migrants have reached Hungary so far this year, nearly all entering through the border with Serbia. Last year, just under 43,000 people filed for asylum in Hungary, though most quickly leave for Germany and other destinations further west in the European Union before their petitions are resolved.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-07

Good for them. I wish my country would adopt similar measures.

we should restart mining the med waters and the english channel me thinks....hahahaahaha

they should send them all to greece, as repayment for all the money they refuse to pay back

they should send them all to greece, as repayment for all the money they refuse to pay back

You mean all the money they cannot pay back as they don't have it, they are now at the stage where they borrow money to pay back past loans.

Walls / Fences can work (as long as your wall guards are payed well and their integrity vetted against the possibility of corruption). Hungary knows it. Egypt knows it. Tunisia knows it too, and announced today they are going to build one between itself and Libya. Of course, none of them will actually mention Israel in their credits.