EU Parliament Calls for Sanctions Against Hungary Over Harsh Refugee Laws, NGOs

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on Hungary to abandon its tight regulations on asylum seekers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and suggesting potential punishment for breaching EU values.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in spring, Hungarian authorities introduced and adopted constitutional amendments on higher education, making it more difficult for foreign-accredited universities to provide education services within the country. The government's move sparked protests over the potential closure of the Central European University, founded by Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros. Hungary also approved a law that permitted the detention of all refugees entering country and their transfer to the neighboring Serbia.

"The resolution calls for: the Hungarian Government to repeal laws tightening rules against asylum-seekers and non-governmental organisations, and to reach an agreement with the US authorities, making it possible for Central European University to remain in Budapest as a free institution, the European Commission to strictly monitor the use of EU funds by the Hungarian Government," the European Parliament said in a press release.

According to the document, the members of the Parliament called for the triggering of Article 7.1 of the EU Treaty, which allows the institution to determine whether a member state has breached the bloc's value and whether said member state should punished. Likely penalties include the suspension of voting rights within the bloc.