Hungarian asylum-seeker detention bill comes into force

By Mehmet Yilmaz

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AA) - Hungary will detain asylum seekers on its borders as of Tuesday until their applications are processed, according to new legislation.

The controversial law says all refugees will be held in border camps and will not be allowed to move freely around the country, pending decisions on their cases.

Unaccompanied children under the age of 14 are the only exceptions.

If asylum seekers opt to leave Hungary, they can only use a border gate opening to non-EU neighbor Serbia.

The bill, approved by parliament on March 7, saw condemnations by human rights groups. The United Nations said it violated EU law.

In 2015, Hungary installed razor wire fences on its borders with Serbia and Croatia to stop the refugee flow.

It also implemented stiffer penalties, including jail time, for illegal crossings and announced a state of emergency in border areas.

As part of measures against refugees, the country also reinforced its borders with soldiers and police with the support of the Visegrad Group partners -- an alliance which includes the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.