The U.N. refugee agency urged Hungary on Thursday not to pass a bill aimed at tightening asylum rules, saying the move would make it impossible for Budapest to give sanctuary to anyone fleeing war-stricken countries, Reuters reported. So far this year, almost 70,000 migrants have crossed into Hungary illegally, mostly on its border with Serbia. Most of them move on to wealthier western Europe. "Adoption of these proposals would have devastating implications for thousands of people seeking safety in Hungary," Montserrat Feixas Vihe, the U.N refugee agency's (UNHCR) regional representative for Central Europe, said in a statement. "We are asking the Hungarian government and public representatives to ensure that any amendments to its national asylum legislation is in conformity with international and regional protection standards, and is not contrary to those standards." The Hungarian parliament plans to vote on Friday whether the planned change to asylum rules can be decided on a fast-track basis, before the summer recess.
