The Hungarian government recently passed a decree that completely cancels state funding for housing for refugees from Ukraine, which has drawn serious criticism from human rights activists and international organizations. This decision led to a sharp limitation of the possibility of obtaining state support for housing for Ukrainian refugees. Aid is now provided only to those arriving from regions that Hungary considers to be active war zones, while refugees from other regions, particularly western Ukraine, remain without any support. About this the report says Human Rights Watch.
This new policy caused a strong reaction from the international community. Human Rights Watch emphasizes that such selective assistance is a gross violation of international norms and obligations of Hungary as an EU member. Lydia Gal, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, condemned the government’s actions, saying they showed a callous attitude toward thousands of people fleeing the war. She called on the European Commission to intervene in the situation, to use the available tools to put pressure on Budapest and force it to fulfill its obligations to Ukrainian refugees.
The Hungarian government’s decree does not comply with the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, which requires equal asylum and assistance to all refugees from Ukraine, regardless of the region they came from. In addition, it contradicts the recommendations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which emphasizes an equal approach to refugees from all over Ukraine.
Human rights organizations are already recording the negative consequences of this decision. According to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, refugees who do not meet the new strict criteria end up on the streets and do not have access to basic social services such as health care and education. Such conditions create new social problems, including homelessness and social exclusion.
Human rights activists are calling on the European Commission to take immediate action, in particular to initiate infringement proceedings against Hungary for failure to fulfill its European obligations regarding the provision of asylum. They also emphasize the need to provide financial support to those organizations that continue to help refugees, including municipalities, non-governmental organizations and international structures such as the United Nations.
