The early release of convicted smugglers creates diplomatic tensions between Vienna and Budapest. “We want full clarification, we think that’s a completely wrong signal,” said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) on Monday. They will “bring the Hungarian ambassador to the Foreign Ministry”. Schallenberg spoke to his Hungarian counterpart on Sunday.
In the past few days, there have been “disturbing” media reports that Hungary seems to want to release hundreds of convicted people smugglers, explained Schallenberg. Budapest’s argument that having foreigners in prisons is too expensive contradicts Hungary’s “apparently clear line” about human smuggling in the past Foreign smugglers released if they leave Hungary within 72 hours. Hungarian criminal law provides for long prison sentences of two to 20 years for people smuggling. Chancellery Minister Gergely Gulyás justified the step by saying that the incarceration of foreign criminals would be too expensive.
