Hungary aims to criminalize helping migrants with 'Stop Soros' bill

People or groups that help migrants who are not entitled to protection to submit asylum requests, or who help illegal migrants obtain status to stay in Hungary, could face jail time under a new bill that was submitted on Tuesday to parliament.

In a separate bill, the government proposed amending theconstitution to state that an "alien population" could not besettled in Hungary and foreign citizens could live in Hungaryonly if permitted by the national authorities.

It also said that foreigners who sought to enter Hungary viaa third country where they were not directly exposed to persecution would not be entitled to asylum.

These proposals, if passed, would deprive people who are forced to flee their homes of critical aid and services, and further inflame tense public discourse and rising xenophobic attitudes.- UNHCR

The proposed legislation, which was immediately condemned bythe UNrefugee agency, is part of right-wing Prime MinisterViktor Orban government's campaign against the EU's migrationpolicies and against George Soros, a Hungarian-born U.S.financier known for funding liberal causes.

The text of the legislation, known as the "Stop Soros" bill, hasbeen posted on the Hungarian parliament's website. It reads: "Those who providefinancial means ... or conduct this organizational activity [forillegal immigration]on a regular basis will be punishable withup to one year in prison."

"We need an action plan to defend Hungary and this is theSTOP Soros package of bills," the interior ministry said in a comment accompanying the legislation.

It said there were international and also Hungarianorganizations helping the entry of illegal migrants to Hungary, adding: "Sanctioning these is justified." It did not name anygroups.

'Rising xenophobic attitudes'

The UNrefugee agency UNHCR quickly responded, urgingHungary to scrap the draft law restricting non-governmentalorganizations, saying it would deprive refugees andasylum-seekers of vital services and encourage "risingxenophobic attitudes."

"UNHCR is seriously concerned that these proposals, ifpassed, would deprive people who are forced to flee their homesof critical aid and services, and further inflame tense publicdiscourse and rising xenophobic attitudes," the UNHighCommissioner for Refugees said in a statement in Geneva.

The new "Stop Soros" bill no longer contains a 25-per-centtax that its previous version in February wanted to impose on foreign donations to non-governmental organizations that backmigration.

The proposed constitutional amendment submitted on Tuesdaywould also provide legal basis for the setting-up of new administrative courts and a high court to deal with lawsuitsconcerning the public sector, flagged by the justice minister earlier this month.

In power since 2010, Orban has increased his control overthe media and has campaigned on a platform of fierce hostilityto immigration for years policies that have put him at oddswith the European Union, which funds Hungary with billions ofeuros a year.

Soros was publicly vilified during Orban's campaign forApril elections, which Orban won in a landslide, securing a third straight term in office. His anti-immigration stance isparticularly popular with voters in rural Hungary.

He has accused Soros and the NGOs funding him of plotting toundermine Hungary's Christian culture by flooding it withimmigrants, an allegation which Soros has repeatedly denied.