EU to Deduct Unpaid Fine from Member State's Funding
Brussels plans to suspend financial support to Budapest due to its noncompliance with refugee acceptance obligations. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Budapest has failed to meet the deadline to pay a penalty related to its failure to process refugees.
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it would withhold a portion of future payments to Hungary due to the country's refusal to pay a fine for violating EU asylum rules, as stated by European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari.
Earlier this year, the European Court of Justice mandated that Budapest must pay €200 million, along with an additional €1 million per day in fines, for depriving migrants of their right to apply for asylum, which contravenes EU migration legislation. Hungary, currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU until the year's end, has expressed its intention not to pay the penalty and has recently committed to sending migrants arriving in the country to Brussels by bus.
According to the European Commission spokesman, it will take time for the bloc to identify the upcoming payments that can accommodate the fine.
The dispute between the EU and Hungary has roots in a December 2020 ruling by the bloc's top court, which determined that Budapest had restricted access to asylum procedures for individuals seeking refuge, rendering the application process "virtually impossible." The court also found that Hungarian authorities unlawfully detained asylum seekers in "transit zones" under conditions akin to detention, infringing on their right to appeal.
In 2023, EU lawmakers endorsed a significant migration pact aimed at redistributing illegal immigrants—predominantly those arriving in Italy and Greece after crossing the Mediterranean—among EU states based on a quota system. Under this legislation, member states not located along the bloc's external border can either accept refugees or contribute financially to an EU fund.
This initiative was designed to foster a sense of shared responsibility among member states in hosting migrants, particularly after eastern European nations expressed reluctance to welcome those arriving in Greece, Italy, and other countries. Hungary and Poland opposed the legislation, while Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic chose to abstain from voting.
At the time, Hungarian President Viktor Orban criticized Brussels, stating that the EU had legally "raped" Hungary and Poland by imposing a deal requiring member states to accept quotas of illegal immigrants, and he vowed not to compromise with the EU on such matters.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it would withhold a portion of future payments to Hungary due to the country's refusal to pay a fine for violating EU asylum rules, as stated by European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari.
Earlier this year, the European Court of Justice mandated that Budapest must pay €200 million, along with an additional €1 million per day in fines, for depriving migrants of their right to apply for asylum, which contravenes EU migration legislation. Hungary, currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU until the year's end, has expressed its intention not to pay the penalty and has recently committed to sending migrants arriving in the country to Brussels by bus.
According to the European Commission spokesman, it will take time for the bloc to identify the upcoming payments that can accommodate the fine.
The dispute between the EU and Hungary has roots in a December 2020 ruling by the bloc's top court, which determined that Budapest had restricted access to asylum procedures for individuals seeking refuge, rendering the application process "virtually impossible." The court also found that Hungarian authorities unlawfully detained asylum seekers in "transit zones" under conditions akin to detention, infringing on their right to appeal.
In 2023, EU lawmakers endorsed a significant migration pact aimed at redistributing illegal immigrants—predominantly those arriving in Italy and Greece after crossing the Mediterranean—among EU states based on a quota system. Under this legislation, member states not located along the bloc's external border can either accept refugees or contribute financially to an EU fund.
This initiative was designed to foster a sense of shared responsibility among member states in hosting migrants, particularly after eastern European nations expressed reluctance to welcome those arriving in Greece, Italy, and other countries. Hungary and Poland opposed the legislation, while Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic chose to abstain from voting.
At the time, Hungarian President Viktor Orban criticized Brussels, stating that the EU had legally "raped" Hungary and Poland by imposing a deal requiring member states to accept quotas of illegal immigrants, and he vowed not to compromise with the EU on such matters.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
