Author:Idil Aydinoglu
Department:Hungary
In 2018, Hungary enforced a legislation package, called Anti-Soros, which included several pieces of legislation restricting the rights of asylum seekers and criminalizing the human rights work of migrant rights defenders. On November 16, 2021, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) found that Hungary failed to fulfil its obligations as stipulated by the asylum procedures and reception. In this regard, it confirmed that the package violated EU law.
This article attempts to address this ruling. It will first summarize the factual background of this socio-legal and political crisis. In doing so, it will portray how Hungary’s isolationist migration policies can lead to the systemic and multi-faceted breaches of its international obligations. Second, it will examine the CJEU decision and its legal analysis. Finally, it will conclude with a critical evaluation of its response to the reprisals against migrant and migrant rights defenders in Hungary.
