Hungary releases hundreds more foreign people smugglers from its prisons

By the beginning of August, 1,385 foreign traffickers had been released from Hungarian prisons. So far, six of them have been arrested for violating the rules of their reintegration detention, 24.hu reported, based on data received from the National Command of Penitentiary Services (BVOP).

The government had earlier extended the reintegration detention and in the first round expelled 808 foreign nationals who had been convicted of trafficking people. More than two months have passed since then, and hundreds more foreign national traffickers have been released from behind bars, resulting in this latest figure.

Telex previously reported that the European Union and neighbouring Austria were unhappy about the release of the traffickers.

What is all this about? Under the rules of reintegration detention, since Hungarian prisons are overcrowded, anyone who has not committed other, more serious crimes and promises to leave the country within 72 hours is allowed to leave prison. However, if the police find that the prisoner has not left Hungary within 72 hours or has returned to Hungary during the period of reintegration detention (which is in breach of the rules of conduct),

"they shall arrest the prisoner and transfer them to the penitentiary nearest to the place of arrest".

In this case, the convicted person must also serve the remainder of their sentence. The BVOP has told the newspaper that six people have so far been escorted back to prison for breaking the rules of reintegration detention.

• three of them failed to leave Hungary within 72 hours and were subsequently caught in the act of committing a crime;
• one person committed an offense within 72 hours of their release and was brought before the authorities;
• two persons – a Turkish and a Georgian national – were apprehended during border checks or a random check which revealed that they had also stayed.

The Hungarian government had previously justified the release of the traffickers by saying that their care was costing the penitentiary system billions of forints a year.

The argument put forward at the time was that

while Brussels isn't contributing to the costs of border protection, it penalizes Hungary if its prisons are overcrowded.

According to the BVOP, on 4 August there were 18,142 beds in Hungarian prisons, housing 18,282 people.