Rough sleeping outlawed in Hungary as new law comes into force

[TomSea]

Rough sleeping outlawed in Hungary as new law comes into force
Homelessness banned and police given powers to remove people from streets and destroy shelters.

Rough sleeping will be banned in Hungary from Monday when the government's law on homelessness comes into force, giving police the power to remove homeless people from the streets and destroy any shelters they may have built.

The law, banning "habitual residence in a public space", was passed by parliament in June and has been called "cruel" by critics. Under legislation passed in 2013, being homeless was punishable with a fine.

The crackdown "serves the interests of society as a whole", minister of state for social affairs, Attila Fulop, told reporters last week. 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".

Read more at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/rough-sleeping-outlawed-hungary-law-force-181015045613103.html

[thackney]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/hungary-homeless-ban-viktor-orban-rough-sleeping-street-a8584401.html

...A constitutional amendment which bans people from living in public areas has come into force in Hungary, despite criticism from campaigners.

The revision hands police the power to issue warnings to anyone seen living on the streets.

Penalties for homeless people who receive four warnings within 90 days include jail time or up to six months in a public works programme.

The seventh amendment to the Basic Law, as Hungary’s constitution is now called, was passed by legislators in June.

As well as the crackdown on homeless people, the amendment includes articles which greatly limit the chances of refugees receiving asylum.

The amendment is also meant to protect Hungary’s Christian culture...