UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issues statement on its visit to Hungary (23 September - 2 October 2013)

The Working Group visited detention facilities, including facilities for asylum seekers and migrants in an irregular situation. In their statement, the Group highlighted four main issues of concern: (1) the excessive use of pre-trial detention; (2) a lack of effective legal assistance; (3) deprivation of liberty for very minor offences; (4) detention of asylum seekers and migrants in an irregular situation.

On issue (4), concerning asylum seekers and irregular migrants, the Group were informed that in 2012, a total of 2,157 asylum seekers’ applications were registered, and in 2013, an estimated 15,000 were registered. The problems of lack of proper judicial review of detention and the prolongation of detention are raised. Detainees are too often not informed of their right to challenge their detention. Detention can also be extended without regard a detainee's circumstances or their lawyer's submissions. The Group is concerned that 'in the last year, around 8000 such submissions for release were made, out of which only three were successful'. Positive measures have been introduced by recent legislation, but these are not being properly implemented.

Read the full Statement of the Working Group.

EDAL and the Weekly Legal Update would like to thank Julia Ivan, the Hungarian ELENA coordinator, for informing ECRE about this statement.

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