The European Union’s top court has dismissed complaints by Slovakia and Hungary about EU migration policy, dealing a blow to the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his allies in central Europe over the bitterly contested policy of refugee quotas. The quota system was adopted despite opposing votes from Slovakia and Hungary, who denounced the plan in court as illegal and ineffective. The original plan, pushed through by EU leaders in September 2015, set a target of relocating 120,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy to other EU member states. The court decision came as the EU executive curtly dismissed Orbán’s request for EU funds to build Hungary’s controversial border fence. The former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: “What a surprise – EU court undermines national sovereignty once again.

Source: The Guardian September 06, 2017 08:08 UTC