Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have launched a fierce attack on the Hungarian government for presenting a strongly contested package of measures criminalizing the activities of NGOs working on behalf of migrants.
Human rights watchdogs Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed concern and raised criticism over a Hungarian government package dubbed 'Stop Soros' aiming to criminalize assistance to "irregular immigrants" and prohibit civil society organizations, branded as "foreign agents", from working with them.
The measures, which are now being debated by parliament ahead of a vote possibly next week, introduce a new crime punishable by up to a year in jail, as well as aiming to amend the constitution to prohibit relocations to Hungary.
'Cruel plan,' Amnesty says
"In their desperate drive to make Hungary the most hostile territory for asylum seekers and refugees in Europe, the Hungarian government has taken their attempt to enshrine intolerance, xenophobia and racism in law to a new level," said Amnesty International's Europe Director, Gauri van Gulik.
"This cruel plan to hermetically seal their borders would criminalize legitimate activities such as offering information and providing legal advice to asylum seekers. This could result in paralysis for organizations and leave already vulnerable people in an ever more precarious situation. MPs should to do the right thing and vote down this brazen attack on activists, on NGOs, and on those seeking safe haven from persecution", van Gulik said.
'Latest salvo in Hungarian government's war on refugees,' HRW says
"This bill is the latest salvo in the Hungarian government's war on refugees and those who help them," said Benjamin Ward, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Hungary's government should withdraw this draft bill, honor the country's duty to refugees, and end its odious campaign against rights defenders," he continued.
"Governments have a responsibility to secure their borders, but the true purpose of Hungary's proposed changes is to silence critics, remove its abuses against migrants from oversight and accountability, and evade the country's responsibility to refugees," Ward said. "The European Commission needs to activate Article 7 of the European Union treaty, which is designed to deal with governments that put the Union's values at risk."