Media activity related to migration may be punishable with imprisonment, after the Hungarian Parliament passed its highly controversial law package on 20th June (which is, ironically, the World Refugee Day). The laws prohibit civil activities that are related to migration, also adding new sections in the Criminal Code, which criminalise providing help to “illegal migrants”. The action of help may include the creation, dissemination of information materials and is threatened with imprisonment.
Further, a new bill has been submitted to the Parliament, which imposes a 25% tax on all funding to those organisations which “help migration”. Help would include «making media campaigns, media seminars, and participating in such», and «propaganda activity which shows migration as positive».
The package contains also an amendment of the Basic Law, creating a whole new branch of the judicial system, the “Administrative Courts” which, critics fear, will protect the interests of the ruling government.
The Venice Commission called on the Parliament to withdraw the regulation which may endanger the opera on of NGOs and freedom of the press.
