Hungarian STOP Soros laws are openly xenophobic - UN's Zeid
GENEVA - New Hungarian laws that criminalise people for helping asylum-seekers are shameful and blatantly xenophobic, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said on Thursday.
The legislation, passed by the Hungarian parliament on Wednesday, could come into force as early as July 1, he said in a statement. This makes it a criminal offence to provide advice to migrants and refugees or to monitor human rights at borders, he added. Individuals could get a year in prison and organisations could be banned.
Hungary says the legislation targets those assisting illegal immigrants, including by helping people to seek asylum when they are not entitled to it.
Zeid accused the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban of using the issue to win votes.
"The constant stoking of hatred by the current government for political gain has led to this latest shameful development, which is blatantly xenophobic and runs counter to European and international human rights standards and values," he said.
