Hungary says refugee ruling ‘raped’
EU law
‘The real battle is only just
beginning,’ foreign minister declares.
By LILI BAYER 9/6/17, 4:39 PM CET Updated 9/7/17,
7:50 AM CET
BUDAPEST — The Hungarian government rejected the European
Court of Justice’s verdict supporting the legality of the European Union’s
refugee relocation scheme, calling the decision political.
“The ruling issued by
the European Court of Justice in the migrant quota case is outrageous and
irresponsible,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at a press
conference Wednesday.
“The real battle is only just beginning,” he added.
“Politics has raped European law.”
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed on Wednesday
Slovakia and Hungary’s case against a 2015 plan to relocate more than 100,000
asylum seekers from Italy and Greece over a period of two years.
“The mechanism actually contributes to enabling Greece and
Italy to deal with the impact of the 2015 migration crisis and is
proportionate,” the ECJ said in a statement announcing its ruling.
Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic voted
against the 2015 relocation scheme. The plan ultimately provided for the
redistribution of up to 160,000 people across member countries, including 1,294
refugees to Hungary. But less than 28,000 refugees have been transferred as of
September 1 — a fact that Central European leaders like to point out as
evidence of the plan’s shortcomings.
While the Hungarian government has vowed to continue
fighting quotas following the Court’s decision, Minister of Justice László
Trócsányi did not specify new legal measures, saying that Hungary’s next steps
depend on the European Commission’s actions.
The government will defend “Hungary’s sovereignty,
constitution, and identity,” said Trócsányi, adding that the Commission is
violating countries’ rights.
The Hungarian leadership has repeatedly emphasized that its
Central European neighbors continue to share Budapest’s tough stance on
refugees, but the bloc’s unity on the issue appears to be eroding.
“Slovakia fully respects the verdict of the European Court
of Justice,” Peter Susko, spokesman for Slovakia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
said. “We retain the opinion, however, that the so-called relocation compulsory
quotas failed to work in real life.
“We will actively work to express solidarity with countries
most affected by the problem of migration using solutions better suited to fit
the purpose other than accepting migrants who have no desire or intention to
remain in our country.”
Poland, however, remains committed to supporting Hungary in
not accepting relocated refugees.
“We were taking into account the possibility of such a
ruling. The ruling does not change the policy of our government,” Polish Prime
Minister Beata Szydło told reporters on Wednesday.
Poland initially supported the plan, but ultimately refused
to take in refugees after the conservative Law and Justice party came to office
in 2015.
European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos
praised the court decision Wednesday, urging Hungary, Poland, and the Czech
Republic to immediately begin showing “solidarity” with Greece and Italy, and
drop their refusal to accept relocated migrants.
Avramopoulos also said that if they continue to defy the
migration policy, the EU will go back to court and seek punitive action.
“Member states are obliged legally and politically — I would
add even morally — to do their part and share in a responsible way the
principle of solidarity in practice,” he said.
In June, the EU launched infringement proceedings against
Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic over their refusal to comply with the
refugee relocation program. Thus far, Poland and Hungary have not accepted any
relocated refugees, while the Czech Republic has taken in 12.
Slovakia, on the other hand, has managed to avoid
infringement proceedings by pledging to accept more refugees.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has based his upcoming
reelection campaign on preventing migrants from coming into Hungary.
On August 31, the Hungarian government asked the European
Union to finance half of the cost of its southern border fence, which was
constructed to prevent migrants from entering the country.
The request, however, was promptly rejected.
“Solidarity is a two-way street. There are times in which
member states may expect to receive support, and times in which they, in turn,
should stand ready to contribute,” European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker wrote in a letter to Orbán, obtained by POLITICO.
“And solidarity is not an à-la-carte dish; one that can be
chosen for border management, and rejected when it comes to complying with
relocation decisions that have been jointly agreed.”
This article has been updated with reaction from Dimitris
Avramopoulos.
Authors:
Lili Bayer
.webp)
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