100's of Foreigners to be Controversially Freed from Prison in Hungary
- 19 May 2023 10:26 AM
- Hungary Around the Clock
Hungary will soon release hundreds of foreigners convicted of people-smuggling, allowing them to return home or travel within Europe, HVG reports.
This is made possible by a government decree that entered into force in April, based on which all foreigners who have been convicted of human trafficking and whose deportation was also ordered can request that their sentence be suspended.
In return, the Hungarian state only expects criminals to leave the country within 72 hours, but it is up to them to decide whether they will apply to continue to serve out their sentence elsewhere.
Authorities are not expected to check whether the freed convicts actually leave the country.
The same option is not available to Hungarian citizens convicted of the same offense.
The decision is tantamount to amnesty for those who are members of organised criminal gangs, HVG observes.
This is happening because Hungarian prisons are overcrowded, the weekly adds.
More than 13% of the prison population consists of foreigners, adding up to nearly 2,600 people.
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