Roundup: Hungary grants new powers to military in managing refugees

Hungary's parliament voted on Monday to grant additional powers to its military in managing the mass influx of refugees.

The ruling Fidesz party bolstered by the far right Jobbik garnered 151 votes for the legislative amendment, which required a two-thirds majority to pass, while the five members of the green LMP and seven independent MPs voted nay (12 altogether) and the socialist MSZP and one independent abstained (27 abstentions).

Under the amended law, soldiers involved with refugee management have been granted authorities similar to those of the police. They are now allowed to demand identification, to detain people, to search the persons, packages, and vehicles of suspects and to participate in monitoring border traffic in a way that includes coercive measures.

Police have similar authorities and have now also been authorized to perform foreign reconnaissance activity while working together with national security services to detect terrorism-related actions including people smuggling, and to detain people smugglers.

The military is now authorized to seal off areas and to make sound and video recordings much the same as police. They can use force, but not deadly force unless they believe there is no other way to halt an offensive. They may use rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades, tear gas and nets.

Parliament has also authorized the cabinet to choose where to deploy the military.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament that the military was currently needed on the Slovenian and Croatian borders.

Speaking in parliament prior to the vote, Orban said the country was "being invaded" and that Hungary had a historical and moral responsibility to protect Europe.

He said Europe was "leaving the doors and windows wide open and been sending invitations to the immigrants."

Hungary, he said, needed to defend its' and Europe's borders and to combat short-sighted European policy at the same time. He called for joint defense of Europe's southern borders, for setting up refugee camps outside the EU, and for assistance to the countries that are already coping with millions of war refugees.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll published in the Budapest Business Journal on Monday and conducted on behalf of the weekly Vasarnapi Hirek found that most Hungarians surveyed thought the border fences were not preventing refugees from entering the country and that Hungarians had a responsibility to help refugees.

The poll, that surveyed 1,000 adults between Sept. 10 and 14, found that 64 percent of people felt Hungary had an obligation to help refugees and 52 percent called for more humane treatment of asylum-seekers.

A total of 78 percent of those polled said the border fence was unsuitable to halt the refugee flow. However, only a slight majority (52 percent) opposed the use of weapons in border defense. Endit