The European Union’s top court has imposed a 200-million-euro ($216 million) fine on Hungary and a daily penalty of one million euros ($1.08 million) for not complying with EU asylum regulations and for the illegal deportation of migrants. This decision comes as Hungary continues to enforce stringent measures on asylum seekers, in defiance of EU mandates.

Since the influx of over a million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015, primarily fleeing the Syrian conflict, Hungary has implemented hardline immigration policies. The country has constructed border fences and taken aggressive actions to prevent entry. Current Hungarian law requires asylum applications to be submitted outside the country, at its embassies in neighboring Serbia or Ukraine, with those attempting to cross the border often being pushed back.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) stated that Hungary failed to comply with a 2020 judgment regarding the rights of asylum seekers to remain in Hungary while their appeals are processed and the removal of illegally staying third-country nationals. The court condemned Hungary’s deliberate avoidance of EU policy, labeling it an unprecedented and severe violation of EU law.

A Hungarian government spokesman did not immediately comment on the ruling. Previously, the government argued that the 2020 ruling was irrelevant, having already closed “transit zones” and tightened asylum rules.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has often clashed with Brussels over various issues, including judicial independence and military aid to Ukraine. In 2021, he vowed to maintain Hungary’s existing asylum regime despite potential European court orders to change it.

The European Commission, noting Hungary’s non-compliance with the 2020 judgment, filed a second application before the court in early 2022. EU rules mandate that member countries have common procedures for granting asylum to those fearing persecution based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or other forms of discrimination. 

This ruling underscores the ongoing tension between Hungary and the EU over immigration policies and the enforcement of shared regulations.