Sleeping rough in public areas is now against the law in Hungary.<\/p>\n
The law was brought in by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, but the United Nations called it “cruel” insisting it goes against human rights.<\/p>\n
It effectively outlaws living on the streets and was first approved by the Budapest parliament in June.<\/p>\n
The government says that allowing police to remove rough sleepers from public places is in the “interests of society as a whole”.<\/p>\n
The law change comes into force on Monday and is a stronger version of\u00a0a 2013 law<\/a>\u00a0that made rough sleeping a fineable offence.<\/p>\n Its goal is “to ensure that homeless people are not on the streets at night-time and that citizens can make use of public space unimpeded,” according to Attila Fulop, Social Affairs State Secretary.<\/p>\n In June, United Nations housing expert Leilani Farha called it “cruel and incompatible with international human rights law”.<\/p>\n “What is this ‘crime’ homeless people have committed? Merely trying to survive?” she said in an open letter to the government.<\/p>\n There’s an estimated 11,000 places available for the homeless in state-run shelters.<\/p>\n But experts say at least 20,000 people are homeless across the country.<\/p>\n Last month, the European Parliament voted to launch legal action, after an Members of European Parliament said that Hungary’s treatment of its homeless contributed to a “clear risk of a serious breach” of European Union values.<\/p>\n The government in Hungary says it is increasing funding for homeless provision.<\/p>\n “Help is provided in a dignified manner,” it said in a\u00a0statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Homeless people are offered day and night accommodation where they are able to eat, to clean themselves and to sleep.”<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"