EU Takes Hungary to Court For Non-Compliance With Bloc's Asylum Rules

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a vehement opponent of the current European migration policy and has repeatedly urged to drastically reduce the influx of refugees crossing into Europe from North Africa and the Middle East.

The European Commission has decided to take Hungary to court "for non-compliance of its asylum and return legislation with EU law." The bloc demands that Budapest change its legislation, which criminalizes aid to illegal undocumented migrants.

READ MORE: 'Threat to the World': Hungary to Quit UN Migration Accord Before It is Approved

The EU's decision comes a day after Hungary announced its withdrawal from the UN Migration Pact, which, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, aims to guarantee the basic human rights of all refugees. However, some European politicians argue that this accord confines their states' sovereignty in terms of migration issues.

Hungary has served as a European point of entry for migrants seeking asylum in the EU. However, Hungarian authorities have been vocal critics of the existing migration policy adopted by the EU. Moreover, national officials have made several attempts to encourage its European allies to greatly cut the number of refugees entering the EU.

Since 2015, the European Union has faced continuous migrant inflows from the Middle East and North Africa with migrants seeking asylum in an attempt to escape political crises and poverty in their home countries.

READ MORE: Merkel-Seehofer Dispute Signals EU ‘Political Crisis’, Not Migration Problem