In the latest bout of anti-immigration policies, the Hungarian government has brought into effect a new levy on anything deemed ‘migration propaganda.’ For fear that this may include a Horizon 2020 research project on migration policy, the Central European University (CEU) has been forced to halt the EU-funded project. The new legislation came into effect on 24 August and criminalizes aid and support to migrants and asylum seekers and will add a 25 per cent tax on any activities related to immigration.
The Marie Curie grant worth €134,000 was awarded to Celine Cantat, a researcher based at the CEU, to “explore how refugees and refugee solidarity groups relate to and enact European citizenship” as they travel through the Balkans to western Europe. However, the funding has been “temporarily suspended” in light of the new Hungarian law. This is the most recent concession made by the university is an attempt to avoid any potential legal issues that could arise as a result of the new legislation.
In addition, the CEU’s Open Learning Initiative (OLIve) which provided free education programs for registered refugees and asylum seekers ― aimed at helping them bring their previous professional and academic experience to Europe and offering the possibility of subsequent higher education studies ― has also been suspended. In a press release on 28 August, the CEU stated, “the OLIve programs have provided educational training only for persons legally admitted to Hungary. We are proud of this work and of our research on refugee and migration issues in Europe and will seek all possible ways to continue this work in the future”.
The law is part of a wider campaign designed by the Hungarian government to subdue anti-government rhetoric and overcome those opposed to its socially conservative policies. The Hungarian government has been running a campaign to close the CEU for some time. Universities in Hungary have also been banned from issuing state-accredited degrees in gender studies as part of another government decree passed in 2017. The aggressive moves are viewed by critics as setting a dangerous precedent for the state to intervene in academic subjects.
The new Hungarian law is being analyzed by the European Commission to assess its compatibility with European legislation. A Commission spokeswoman told Science|Business, “No legislation should have the effect of shrinking the space of civil society organisations by hampering them in carrying out their legitimate tasks or by imposing inappropriate restrictions on their work, or their ability to seek and use funding.”
The Hungarian government is using vague wording that is open to interpretation to enforce its xenophobic anti-immigration stance. These recent moves further endanger the already fragile academic freedom in Hungary and hinder the work of nongovernmental organizations that assist asylum seekers, migrants, and refugees. More and more valuable programs are at risk of coming to a halt.
To prevent further damage, other EU member states must address these issues and make it abundantly clear that taxing and criminalizing work related to asylum seekers, migrants, and refugees are unacceptable practices and in direct opposition to EU values.
Image source: Elekes Andor, CC BY-SA 4.0