Statement Against the Continued Persecution and Criminalisation of Homeless People in Hungary

Statement Against the Continued Persecution and Criminalisation of Homeless People in Hungary

FEANTSA calls on the Hungarian government to withdraw its proposed amendment to the Hungarian Constitution that will make it possible to fine, arrest and imprison people who are sleeping rough because they have no other options in a vote on 4 March 2013.

Ahead of a vote on Monday 4 March in the Hungarian Parliament that would lead to a constitutional reform to make it possible to ban people from ‘habitually residing in public places’ because they have no where else to sleep, Rina Beers, President of FEANTSA, called on the Hungarian government to reconsider its position.

“This proposed constitutional amendment clearly violates the spirit of the many international human rights treaties to which Hungary is signatory, including the Revised European Social Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights, the UN Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.”

FEANTSA members are alarmed at the Hungarian government’s campaign to punish and imprison homeless people who are unable to find or afford accommodation. Beers went on to say, “over the past two years, the Hungarian government has used the legal system to systematically target vulnerable people living in extreme poverty. There is a lack of affordable housing in Hungary and people who are homeless have nowhere to go.”

Homelessness is a violation of fundamental human rights and dignity that continues to affect people in all EU Member States. It is one of the clearest indicators of deepening poverty and social exclusion. It has far reaching implications, both for the individuals who experience it and for the society at large.

Rina Beers continued, “Criminalising homeless people is not the answer. Punitive measures, which stigmatise and criminalise homeless people, are cruel, since they punish the most vulnerable. These measures, whether they be fines that are absolutely unaffordable for people who have no means, or convictions for misdemeanors and other administrative offences, make it even more difficult for people to emerge from situations of extreme poverty. People face additional stigma, huge bureaucratic burdens and debts when attempting to re-integrate into society and the labour market. Criminalisation measures are also ineffective, since they aim to move the visible problem of homelessness out of view rather than offering any real solution.”

So what can Hungary do instead? An integrated homelessness strategy, which offers real housing options for homeless people, either in social rental properties or in supported housing on the private rental market can be successful and affordable, even in times of economic crisis. Beers confirms, “These strategies are not more expensive than using police and the justice system to fine, arrest and imprison homeless people and they work.”

FEANTSA, and its members urge the Hungarian government to withdraw its proposed amendment which will open the door to human rights violations in the Hungarian constitution. Instead, we call on Hungary to work towards developing an integrated homelessness strategy as a positive and effective way of putting an end to this unacceptable situation.

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For more details or comments, please contact Freek Spinnewijn, FEANTSA Director freek.spinnewijn@feantsa.org or +32 2 538 66 69

Notes for editors:

1. FEANTSA is the European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless. It is an umbrella of not-for-profit organisations which participate in or contribute to the fight against homelessness in Europe. It is the only major European network focusing exclusively on homelessness at European level.

2. A Város Mindenkié (The City is For All) is a Hungarian organisation of homeless and formerly home-ess people, those struggling with housing problems and their partners, who work together for an egalitarian and just society. This organisation has been leading the campaign against the repressive legislation in Hungary. For background note on this issue and the upcoming vote, click here.

For any further details, please contact Suzannah Young, FEANTSA Communications Officer.