Hungarian plans to tackle illegal immigration are from 'Putin playbook', rights group claims

Migrants walk behind a temporary protective fence at the border between Hungary and Serbia
Migrants walk behind a temporary protective fence at the border between Hungary and Serbia Credit: Zoltan Gergely Kelemen/MTI via AP, file

A leading human rights group in Hungary has attacked Hungarian government proposals to tackle illegal immigration, claiming they are from the “Putin playbook” and an attempt to intimidate groups helping refugees.

Announced this week, the legislation aims to reduce illegal immigration into Hungary by targeting organisations believed to be aiding the flow of people across the border. Budapest has argued some NGOs of promoting illegal immigration, in particular those funded by George Soros, the Hungarian-born billionaire who the government accuses of plotting to flood Europe with immigrants.

At a press conference on the legislation, a government spokesman referred to it as the “Stop Soros” bill.

“It is clear that it is intended to intimidate human rights groups that provide legal services and do advocacy work on refugee protection in Hungary,” Marta Pardavi, co-chair of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, one of the organisations that could suffer under the proposals, told The Telegraph.

“These proposals are part of an extremely disgusting propaganda campaign targeting individuals and organisations that have the courage to stand up for human rights and European values,” she added. “They are part of the Putin playbook.”

The legislation proposes organisations that receive foreign funding and carry out practices considered to aid illegal immigration will have to register with the authorities and declare their activities. It also calls for a tax on the funding, the revenue from which will be invested in border security.

It can also target individuals by allowing courts to impose restraining orders on people believed to be abetting illegal immigration by not allowing them within five miles of Hungary’s Schengen border. In the case of foreigners, the restrictions could extend to the whole of the country.

Ms Pardavi rounded on the prospect of restraining orders likening them to restrictions on the free movement of Hungarians by the communist government in 1969.

But the Hungarian government has stood by its proposals despite the domestic criticism and the prospect that they could further sour relations with the EU already under strain from Budapest’s refusal to accept refugees under an EU quota.

“The Hungarian government opposes illegal immigration through every means possible,” it said in a statement. “We need to strengthen the security of citizens. Our aim is that Europe should continue to be the best place on Earth to live.”

The statement also added that mass immigration posed a “serious security risk”.

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