Hungary: Right-wing government announces plan to stop people helping refugees
Viktor Orban's government announces to cut back help for refugees and migrants. Photo: Getty
(Web Desk) - Amidst the surge seen in the rise of the nationalist governments across the world, Viktor Orban’s right-wing populist party has vowed to crack down on organisations helping migrants and refugees, in an announcement made just a day after it won an overwhelming election victory.
The autocratic prime minister portrayed himself as the saviour of Hungary’s Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, an image which resonated with more than 2.5 million voters, reported The Independent.
His Fidesz party won a two-thirds super majority in the country’s parliament, which would allow it and its small ally, the Christian democrats, to push through changes to constitutional laws.
According to The Independent, laws would force NGOs to get government permits, place taxes on their income from abroad and ban advocacy groups from borders where asylum-seekers file claims.
His policy would be to formulate laws that would force NGOs working with migrants and asylum seekers to get government permits. Income received from abroad would be taxed by 25 per cent and advocacy groups could be banned from going closer than 8km (5 miles) from Hungary’s borders - where asylum-seekers file claims - and foreigners without authorisation to help refugees could be banned from Hungary.
Their activity would have to be approved by the interior minister, who could deny permission if he saw a “national security risk”.
Before the election, Orban’s government had warned Hungary would descend into chaos should it become an “immigrant country” like France or Belgium, with funds meant for Hungarian families or the country’s underprivileged Roma minority ebbing diverted to migrants.
The government said the presence of migrants would weaken Hungary’s security and increase its risk of terrorism.
