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Hungary finds human rights court ruling "unacceptable and unenforceable"

The government will appeal the decision. Hungary insists, based on the principle of the reinforcement of sovereignty, that it should have the right to decide whom to take in and whom to expel

The government finds the Strasbourg court ruling which condemned Hungary for expelling two Bangladeshis as "unacceptable and unenforceable", according to János Lázár, head of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The government will appeal  the decision. Hungary insists, based on the principle of the reinforcement of sovereignty, that it should have the right to decide whom to take in and whom to expel.

However, the human rights court takes the view that it is not the Hungarians that should decide who may live in Hungary, but based on the recommendation of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee – which represented the two Bangladeshi nationals –, the Strasbourg court will make that decision, Minister Lázár said.

He found it sad that the Hungarians working in the Helsinki Committee do not understand that the community of Hungarians does not want to let illegal immigrants in.

He also objected to the part of the court decision which claims that the human rights of migrants are not adequately guaranteed in Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. In his view, this finding is simply incomprehensible, and is also contrary to the decision of the European Council which says that illegal immigrants must be taken back to both Greece and Turkey.

The minister added that the second border fence will be completed by May and the tightened legal border closure will take effect next Tuesday, "the border will be sealed fully and comprehensively," he said.

He further drew attention to the threat that Turkey may terminate the migration agreement concluded with the EU, and illegal immigrants would then set out for the borders of the continent once again. Hungary must prepare for this eventually with an independent border closure arrangement of its own, he stated.

He also pointed out that it is important that Hungary should maintain good relations with Turkey, while the EU is expected, he said, to honor the agreement reached with the Turks.