Press Releases

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on 14 May 2020 that Hungary’s practice of automatically placing the quasi-totality of asylum-seekers in closed land-border transit zones during the entire asylum procedure constitutes unlawful detention. As a reaction, the Hungarian government announced the introduction of a new asylum system.

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This information update shows how the broad consensus by international organisations that qualifies placement in the transit zones of Hungary as deprivation of liberty has emerged. The update compiles a list of key judgments, adopted UN opinions and concluding observations, reports and statements of Council of Europe and UN institutions focusing on the transit zones at Röszke and Tompa at the Hungarian-Serbian border after March 2017.

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Today is World Refugee Day. Each year hundreds of thousands leave their home due to wars, hunger, torture and persecution globally. In Europe, although often perceived as a safe region, asylum-seekers are often met by refusal, detention and expulsion. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee works towards providing effective assistance to those fleeing to Hungary.

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The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled yesterday that the 2017 Hungarian law requiring non-governmental organizations receiving at least HUF 9 million in grants from outside Hungary to register in a special registry and label themselves as a “foreign-funded organization” on their website and publications are stigmatizing, harmful and in breach of EU law.

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The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered its judgment today in the joint cases concerning two asylum-seeking families held in the transit zone in Röszke, at the Hungarian-Serbian border. The applicants are represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC). The cases originate in preliminary ruling requests lodged by Hungarian judges in December 2019.

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Eight Hungarian NGOs, participating in the stakeholder consultation launched by the European Commission for its first annual Rule of Law Report, trust that the EC will make concrete, enforceable recommendations to EU Member States, hence also for Hungary on how to advance rule of law in the EU. In 2020, the European Commission will issue its first Rule of Law Report, covering all EU Member States.

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The authorities expelled an Iranian pharmacist student from Hungary as a result of a politically motivated show trial, even though she did not commit any violation of law. She is one of those Iranian students who had allegedly violated the hospital quarantine rules. We present the story of this young woman referring to her under the fictitious name Simin/Zara.

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Budapest, 23 April 2020 — The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered his opinion in the joint cases concerning two asylum-seeking families held in one of the transit zones in Röszke at the Hungarian-Serbian border. The applicants are represented by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC). The cases originate in preliminary ruling requests lodged by Hungarian judges in December 2019.

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The Hungarian Helsinki Committee made a movie about the Russian asylum-seeker, Alexei Torubarov. His eventful and touching story illustrates how unfairly refugees are demonized. The case of our client persecuted for his political views had to be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union to grant final protection after six years of calvary. His endurance helped others to be recognized as refugees by the Hungarian courts.

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The High Court of Budapest (Fővárosi Törvényszék) rejected the appeal of an Iranian pharmacist student in her fourth academic year. We are referring to her under the fictitious name Zara. She asked the Court to prevent her deportation to Iran, one of the most infected countries by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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