EU Fines Hungary €200 Million for Ignoring Asylum Rulings

The European Union's top court fined Hungary €200 million for persistently breaking the bloc's asylum rules. Despite a previous ruling, Hungary failed to implement the changes ordered, attracting a fine plus €1 million for every day of non-compliance. The case highlights Hungary's stringent anti-immigration policies.

The European Union's highest court has penalized Hungary with a fine of €200 million ($216 million) for repeatedly violating the bloc's asylum regulations, it was announced on Thursday. Additionally, Hungary faces an extra fine of €1 million per day until it complies with the court’s orders.

In a press release, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) noted that Hungary had not adhered to a 2020 ruling that demanded reforms to its asylum policies. The ECJ stated, “This failure, which involves willfully dodging the application of a common EU policy, represents an unprecedented and extremely serious infringement of EU law.”

Since the 2015 migrant crisis, Hungary's government has adopted a stiff stance on immigration, constructing border fences and establishing stringent asylum procedures. While transit zones for asylum seekers have been closed, the European Commission argues that Hungary’s measures still fall short of EU legal standards, prompting the hefty fines.