The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has imposed financial sanctions on Hungary due to its asylum policy.
Hungary must now pay 200 million euros plus a daily penalty of one million euros for failing to comply with previous court rulings.
According to Tagesschau, the judges in Luxembourg ruled that Hungary is deliberately avoiding the application of a common EU policy, which constitutes a serious violation of EU law.
The current ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in 2022 by the EU Commission, which ensures compliance with EU laws.
In December 2020, the ECJ found various Hungarian regulations to be contrary to EU law. Hungary, however, did not sufficiently implement this ruling.
One key issue was the procedure in the now-closed transit camps on the Serbian border.
Hungary required asylum seekers to undergo a preliminary procedure at Hungarian embassies before they could enter Hungary to apply for asylum.
The ECJ overturned this rule last year, but Hungary continued to fail to provide effective access to asylum procedures.
The ECJ judges concluded that Hungary was violating the principle of sincere cooperation and the rules on returning illegal third-country nationals. This posed a significant threat to the unity of EU law.
