Hungary is stepping up its anti-immigration measures with a new 25 percent special tax on aid groups which support migration and jail terms for those convicted of helping immigrants stay in the country.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has been very hostile to immigration in Europe and was re-elected in a landslide victory in April following a pledge to crack down on Non-governmental organisations which it says undermines Europe’s integrity by supporting migrants.
It says it needs to introduce the tax because creating a defence against illegal immigration creates a significant burden on the national budget.
The human rights body, the Council of Europe, is set to rule on the legality of the bill on Friday, but the Hungarian government says it will not wait to hear what they have to say.
A previous version of the bill had targeted foreign-backed NGOs, but that clause has now been dropped.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto says the government is protecting his country from a George Soros backed immigration front that includes the European Commission and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Image Credit: rt.com
