BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary said Monday it was ready to begin detaining asylum-seekers in camps on its southern border with Serbia after passing a law this month that has drawn criticism from rights groups and the UN. Hungary’s parliament approved on March 7 the systematic detention of all asylum-seekers in camps on the border composed of converted shipping containers. “The border protection agencies are fully prepared for the entry into force of the reinforced legal border closure on March 28,” said a statement by the interior ministry. Rights groups like Amnesty International have condemned the new rules for failing to meet Hungary’s international obligations to asylum-seekers. According to refugee rights group the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) some 400 asylum-seekers are currently housed in the country’s internal camp network, and now face relocation to the border camps.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 28, 2017 03:33 UTC