The Strasbourg court ruled that Hungarian authorities violated the European Convention on Human Rights in the autumn of 2015 when it detained two Bangladeshi asylum-seekers in the Röszke transit zone and sent them back to Serbia when the risk had arisen that they would be vulnerable to inhumane treatment in Greek reception centres.

The court stated that Hungary violated provisions on the right to freedom and security and effective legal remedy and the ban on torture. The first instance court ruled that the Hungarian state must pay €20,000 to the asylum-seekers along with trial expenses.

Völner said it is problematic that such a legal precedent could encourage an even bigger migration wave toward Europe.

According to Völner the disputable aspects of the ruling include the definition of transit zone detention and the safety status of Serbia.

He also alleged that the asylum-seekers had not informed the authorities about persecution vulnerability and had disappeared before their cases were even processed.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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