In Hungary a law banning homelessness enters into force. The government claims it will save lives; critics described the scheme as “inhumane”. In Budapest it should be soon, raids.
As before, nearly thirty years ago, the first homeless on Budapest’s streets and in subway appeared underpasses, many of Hungary shocked about this side effect of coming system change. Meanwhile, the vast majority have become accustomed to: In hardly any other Eastern European capital, there are so many homeless people and especially so many old people without an apartment in Budapest. Of the respective governments, whether left or right, they were mostly ignored.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Orbán and his social politicians want to solve the Problem for quite some time, in their own way – by banning homelessness is simply. Several times the government and the individual local authorities failed, however, to the constitutional court and the Curia, the Supreme court of Hungary – the last in 2016. Therefore, homelessness was said in June of this year, finally, by amendment to the Constitution; an appeal to the constitutional court was not possible. “The life leading to stay on public land is prohibited,” since in the Hungarian basic law.
“The life leading to stay on public land is prohibited” – Viktor Orbán
Today, the execution of this law shall be to the corresponding article in the Constitution in force – so that homelessness is officially banned. As a way of life on public land within the meaning of the act can apply where the homeless sit with their spread-out belongings somewhere. If you do not leave to call the police to your place of residence, and, for example, in a residential home go to, you can committed to local work, or, if they refuse, in prison. Adhesion is also due, if you have ignored within three months, three police requests to Leave their residence. Then a conviction and prison sentence threatens them in a fast method. In addition, the police may, at any time, all the belongings of the homeless seize and destroy, including personal items such as photos. The costs can be passed on to the Concerned.
“Poverty is no Crime”
Many Hungarian Non-government organisations, including the Association “The city belongs to all”, have been protesting for months sharply against the new ban of homelessness and refer to it as “inhuman” and the solution to the problem is unsuitable. On weekends, associations and artists in front of the Parliament protesting Civil against the new law, on their posters, slogans such as: “poverty is no Crime” or “Who is doing the poor thing that she is, is a coward”. Internationally, the new law triggered criticism and protests. So, for instance, it is listed in the so-called Sargentini report of the European Parliament as an example of how Hungary violates constitutional principles and fundamental values of the EU. The Sargentini report is based on an ongoing process of the EU against Hungary.
The Hungarian government is defending himself against such criticism, and in particular against the accusation that she wanted the homeless criminalize. The new Law is intended to save lives, said the Secretary of state of the Ministry of human resources Bence Rétvári, on Monday in the Hungarian state television. The scheme will prevent the homeless freeze to death; the way out of homelessness will inevitably lead through transitional living homes, in which the Affected clothing, work opportunities, and social advice. For the past 28 years, the homeless problem is unsolved in Hungary, so Rétvári, with the new law now provided a remedy.
On the street
It is estimated that in Hungary currently about 30,000 homeless, mostly living in Budapest. According to the government, 19,000 seats are in Homeless shelters, civil associations, which take care of the homeless, to speak of only around 11,000. In many institutions, rule Narrow, it means the homeless would be housed in rooms in the big sleep, the social work is deficient, the Affected would hausen, therefore, often prefer to be on the road.
“Unprofessional and amateurish” – a critic about the homeless policy of the Orbán government
In General, the homeless policy of the Orbán-government would be unprofessional and amateurish, say critics. The new law is something like the attempt to ban in the health service that the people affected, says the well-known Methodist pastor Gábor Iványi, head of for many years, a homeless Association and a residential home in Budapest.
The social policy expert Bálint Misetics writes in the weekly hvg: “If the Hungarian state would have thought in the last eight years, sensible to the end of what you could do, so that fewer people become homeless, instead of just the code of administrative offences and to change the Constitution, then, would be alive today and fewer people on the road.”
Protest on cardboard
As consistently, the Hungarian police do not apply the new rules remains to be seen. In the Reports of the independent media in Hungary, it was in the past few days, the police will make this week great raids in Budapest. In contrast, critics of the law protested in the past few days, already illustrious way: Budapest-places where many homeless people stay, dozens of demonstrators on unfolded Cardboard, and remained so over a longer period of time.