According to Human Rights Watch, the Hungarian government cynically violated EU legislation and stopped state funding of a shelter for refugees from Western Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Hungary violated EU legislation by denying asylum to 3,000 refugees from Western Ukraine, leaving many women and children homeless.
- The Hungarian government imposed restrictions on Ukrainian refugees' access to public housing, in defiance of the EU directive on temporary protection.
- Human rights activists are calling on the European Commission to initiate proceedings against Hungary for human rights violations and to provide financial support to organizations assisting refugees from Ukraine.
- The decision of the Hungarian authorities contradicts EU norms and recommendations from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in providing protection to Ukrainian citizens regardless of their geographical location in Ukraine.
- The European Commission should leverage all available tools to compel Hungary to revoke the law denying asylum to Ukrainian refugees and fulfill its obligations as an EU member state.
What is known about Hungary's new cynical decision regarding refugees from Ukraine
It is noted that as a result of the decision of the Hungarian authorities, about 3,000 Ukrainian refugees, most of whom are women and children, were left homeless.
A new decree dated August 21, 2024 established restrictions on the access of Ukrainian refugees to public housing in Hungary.
In particular, the right to asylum was reserved only for immigrants from areas of Ukraine designated as combat zones.
The Hungarian government has broken a new low with this brutal law that is throwing thousands of people fleeing the war in Ukraine onto the streets. The European Commission should use all available tools to force Budapest to cancel this law and fulfill its obligations as a member of the EU, HRW human rights activist Lidia Gal emphasizes.
What is known about Hungary's cynical violation of human rights
The human rights organization noted that the decree is a violation of the EU's Temporary Protection Directive of 2001, which was activated in March 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, HRW emphasized that the decision of the Hungarian authorities contradicts the recommendations of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, according to which protection should be provided to Ukrainian citizens in other countries regardless of their geographical residence in Ukraine.
Human rights activists are calling on the European Commission to act quickly by opening a procedure against Hungary for human rights violations.
They also call for financial support for organizations that help temporary refugees, including municipalities, non-governmental organizations and the UN.
