The European Court of Justice has fined Hungary 200 million euros for severe violations of European asylum law. If Hungary delays payment, it will incur an additional penalty of 1 million euros per day, deducted automatically from its share of the European budget.

Hungary faces accusations of systematically breaching EU asylum rules, stemming from a December 2020 ruling by the European Court of Justice. The court had determined that Budapest restricted access to asylum procedures for migrants seeking international protection. Hungarian authorities were accused of illegally detaining asylum seekers in transit zones, violating their right to reside in the country during the status-granting procedure.

Despite the 2020 ruling, Hungary ignored the court’s decision, prompting the European Commission to initiate a new procedure that led to the current fine.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's anti-migrant stance has heightened tensions between Budapest and Brussels since the onset of the EU migrant crisis. Last month, Hungary opposed the new Pact on Migration.