Justice minister: European court's proposal concerning Hungary transit zones 'devoid of purpose'

The Hungarian government considers a proposal by the advocate general of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning migrant transit zones in Hungary "devoid of purpose" since the zones in question are "no longer in place", Justice Minister Judit Varga told MTI on Thursday. Priit Pikamae published his proposal earlier in the day, as part of an European infringement procedure against Hungary, concering transit zones on the Hungary-Serbia border, as well as Hungary's asylum procedures. The proposal, Varga said, follows an earlier European ruling which said that keeping illegal migrants in the zones qualifies as detention, therefore "it does not provide new information". She added that the Hungarian government had closed down the transit zones in the wake of that ruling.