Amnesty called Hungary the most “disappointing” in the European region from a human rights point of view, with the gravest problems arising from the country’s policy towards refugees and asylum seekers, Júlia Iván, AI Hungary’s director, said.

For years, Hungary has done everything to avoid providing protection to people fleeing from persecution, she added. “As populism takes mainstream politics by storm, its practitioners use scapegoating and fearmongering for propaganda purposes,” Iván said.

Apart from its immigration policy, Hungary’s approach to human rights issues is worrisome in areas such as its declaration of a state of crisis in connection with migration, the government’s “crackdown on NGOs, the curbing of the freedom of speech and freedom of the press and discrimination against the Roma,” she insisted.

Commenting on the report, Fidesz communications director Balázs Hidvéghi earlier said in a statement that AI is “one of the pro-migrant organisations financed by [Hungarian-born American billionaire] George Soros and it serves pro-migrant forces”, so the attack was only to be expected.

Parliament is currently discussing strengthening the legal border seal on the southern borders, and Fidesz is “resolute” in its support for it, even if they must face attacks on Hungarian migration policies “from international organisations stuffed with foreign money”, Hidvéghi said.

Report available here: http://www.amnesty.hu/data/file/3348-air201617-english_2016-17.pdf?version=1415642342

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.