Image copyright Getty Images

Sleeping rough in public areas is now against the law in Hungary.

The law was brought in by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, but the United Nations called it "cruel" insisting it goes against human rights.

It effectively outlaws living on the streets and was first approved by the Budapest parliament in June.

The government says that allowing police to remove rough sleepers from public places is in the "interests of society as a whole".

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tens of thousands of people are estimated to sleep rough in Hungary.

The law change comes into force on Monday and is a stronger version of a 2013 law that made rough sleeping a fineable offence.

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," according to Attila Fulop, Social Affairs State Secretary.

In June, United Nations housing expert Leilani Farha called it "cruel and incompatible with international human rights law".

"What is this 'crime' homeless people have committed? Merely trying to survive?" she said in an open letter to the government.

There are an estimated 11,000 places available for the homeless in state-run shelters.

But experts say at least 20,000 people are homeless across the country.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Student and volunteer group the 'Budapest Bike Maffia', who protest against poverty give out sandwiches to homeless in the capital Budapest.

Last month, the European Parliament voted to launch legal action, after members said that Hungary's treatment of its homeless contributed to a "clear risk of a serious breach" of European Union values.

The government in Hungary says it is increasing funding for homeless provision.

"Help is provided in a dignified manner," it said in a statement.

"Homeless people are offered day and night accommodation where they are able to eat, to clean themselves and to sleep."

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Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.</s>Rough sleeping in Hungary will be banned from Monday when the government’s law on homelessness comes into force, with the police given the power to remove homeless people from the streets and destroy any shelters they might 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”, social affairs state secretary 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”.

Experts say Hungary has at least 20,000 people sleeping rough with only an estimated 11,000 places in state-run shelters.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government said it is increasing funding for homeless provision but international organisations and Hungarian rights groups have condemned the new law.

In June, UN housing expert Leilani Farha called it “cruel and incompatible with international human rights law”.

Last month, the European Parliament voted to start legal action against the government in Hungary after an MEP’s report said, among other things, that Hungary’s treatment of its homeless contributed to a “clear risk of a serious breach” of EU values.</s>ROUGH SLEEPING IN Hungary will be banned from today after a homelessness law adopted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government and called “cruel” by critics comes into force.

A constitutional amendment approved by the Budapest parliament on 20 June banned “habitual residence in a public space”, beefing up a 2013 law that made it a fineable offence.

With police now empowered to remove rough sleepers from streets and dismantle huts and shacks, a government official said on Thursday that the law “serves the interests of society as a whole”.

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”, Attila Fulop, social affairs state secretary, told reporters.

An estimated 11,000 places exist in state-run shelters but experts say at least 20,000 people are homeless nationwide.

The government says it is increasing funding for homeless provision but international organisations and rights groups at home have condemned the new law.

In June, UN housing expert Leilani Farha called it “cruel and incompatible with international human rights law”.

“What is this ‘crime’ (homeless people) have committed? Merely trying to survive,” said Farha in an open letter to the government.

Last month, the European Parliament voted to launch legal action against Budapest after an MEP’s report said, among other things, that Hungary’s treatment of its homeless contributed to a “clear risk of a serious breach” of EU values.</s>A constitutional amendment that prohibits people from living in public areas takes effect next week in Hungary.

A constitutional amendment that prohibits people from living in public areas takes effect next week in Hungary.

Ban on living in public areas to come into force in Hungary

Campaigners for the homeless say the ban and the threat of prison for violators is unlikely to solve the problem of people sleeping on the streets.

Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) director Zoltan Akna said more resources are needed to prevent people from becoming homeless and to house those that do.

Unofficial estimates indicate some 30,000 people are homeless in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

The Hungarian government says 9,800 places are available in shelters for overnight stays and 19,000 in total.

The government recently allocated 9.1 billion forints (£25 million) to help the needy.</s>(BBC) – The law was brought in by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, but the United Nations called it “cruel” insisting it goes against human rights.

It effectively outlaws living on the streets and was first approved by the Budapest parliament in June.

The government says that allowing police to remove rough sleepers from public places is in the “interests of society as a whole”.

The law change comes into force on Monday and is a stronger version of a 2013 law that made rough sleeping a fineable offence.

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,” according to Attila Fulop, Social Affairs State Secretary.

In June, United Nations housing expert Leilani Farha called it “cruel and incompatible with international human rights law”.

“What is this ‘crime’ homeless people have committed? Merely trying to survive?” she said in an open letter to the government.

There are an estimated 11,000 places available for the homeless in state-run shelters.

But experts say at least 20,000 people are homeless across the country.

Last month, the European Parliament voted to launch legal action, after members said that Hungary’s treatment of its homeless contributed to a “clear risk of a serious breach” of European Union values.

The government in Hungary says it is increasing funding for homeless provision.

“Help is provided in a dignified manner,” it said in a statement.

“Homeless people are offered day and night accommodation where they are able to eat, to clean themselves and to sleep.”</s>A constitutional amendment that prohibits people from living in public areas takes effect next week in Hungary.

Campaigners for the homeless say the ban and the threat of prison for violators is unlikely to solve the problem of people sleeping on the streets.

Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) director Zoltan Akna said more resources are needed to prevent people from becoming homeless and to house those that do.

Unofficial estimates indicate some 30,000 people are homeless in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

The Hungarian government says 9,800 places are available in shelters for overnight stays and 19,000 in total.

The government recently allocated 9.1 billion forints (£25 million) to help the needy.</s>A constitutional amendment that prohibits people from living in public areas takes effect next week in Hungary.

Campaigners for the homeless say the ban and the threat of prison for violators is unlikely to solve the problem of people sleeping on the streets.

Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) director Zoltan Akna said more resources are needed to prevent people from becoming homeless and to house those that do. The entrance to a ‘warming place’, a daytime homeless shelter in Budapest’s 8th district run by the Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) (Pablo Gorondi/AP)

Unofficial estimates indicate some 30,000 people are homeless in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

The Hungarian government says 9,800 places are available in shelters for overnight stays and 19,000 in total.

The government recently allocated 9.1 billion forints to help the needy.- Press Association</s>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - A constitutional amendment that prohibits people from living in public areas takes effect next week in Hungary.

Advocates for the homeless say the ban and the threat of jail time for violators is unlikely to solve the problem of people sleeping on the streets.

Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) Director Zoltan Akna says more resources are needed to prevent people from becoming homeless and to house the ones that do.

Unofficial estimates indicate some 30,000 people are homeless in Budapest, the Hungarian capital. The Hungarian government says 9,800 places are available in shelters for overnight stays and 19,000 in total.

The government recently allocated 9.1 billion forints ($32.2 million) to help the needy.

Ferenc Ribeny and his dog Mazli (Fluke) sit at a homeless shelter in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday Oct. 14, 2018. A constitutional ban on living in public areas goes into effect on Oct. 15, threatening the homeless with possible jail terms if they refuse to heed police warnings to stop living rough.(AP Photo/Pablo Gorondi)

People, including many homeless, stand in line in Budapest Sunday Oct. 14, 2018, for food distributed by the Society for Krishna Consciousness religious group. A constitutional ban on living in public areas goes into effect on Oct. 15, threatening the homeless with possible jail terms if they refuse to heed police warnings to stop living rough. (AP Photo/Pablo Gorondi)

The entrance to a 'warming place' a daytime homeless shelter in Budapest's 8th district run by the Menhely Alapitvany (Shelter Foundation) on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2081. A constitutional ban on living in public areas goes into effect on Oct. 15, threatening the homeless with possible jail terms if they refuse to heed police warnings to stop living rough. (AP Photo/Pablo Gorondi)</s>Homelessness has officially become a crime in Hungary, after a tough new law came into force on Monday.

The new law bans 'habitual residence in a public space', and empowers police to order homeless people to move into shelters - or face jail.

If a homeless person disobeys police order to move off the streets three times within a 90-day period, the police can detain them and destroy their personal belongings.

The law, which follows a constitutional amendment approved in June has prompted criticism from human rights groups, who say it is inhumane.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing government has said the new law aims to provide proper living conditions for the homeless and has set aside money to help them.

But Gabor Ivanyi, who leads the group Oltalom (Shelter) which operates homeless shelters with 600 beds in Budapest, said the government had failed to conduct a proper dialogue with charity organisations before it passed the legislation.

'This law serves the aim of scaring the homeless to prompt them to flee (the streets),' Ivanyi said.

'They are scared and don't know what to do now. We don't know what will happen tomorrow.'

Homeless people had all but disappeared on Monday morning from underpasses in central Budapest where there would normally be plenty.

The government says it has allocated about 9 billion forints (£24.6million) to homeless care in its 2018 budget plus an additional 300 million forints (£819,000) to expand shelter capacities.

'We believe we need to give additional help and not additional rights to homeless people,' Bence Retvari, state secretary, told reporters on Saturday according to a video posted on HirTv website.

Retvari said further help would be available from Monday, without elaborating.

On Sunday around 500 protesters demonstrated against the law outside the Hungarian parliament.

'I believe this is shameful... that they criminalise the impossible and helpless situation that these people are in,' said Agnes Merenyi, one of the demonstrators.

An activist group called 'Varos Mindenkie' (which means 'the city is for everyone') said in a statement: '(The constitutional amendment) allows the authorities to persecute the most helpless people with a wider range of police tools from Oct. 15.'

Last month the European Parliament voted to sanction Hungary for flouting EU rules on democracy, civil rights and corruption in a move the Orban government said was an attempt to punish Budapest for its anti-migration stance.

Orban's Fidesz party won a third consecutive four-year term on a landslide in an election in April.</s>BUDAPEST: A tough new law that bans homeless people from sleeping on Hungary’s streets came into force on Monday, prompting criticism from human rights groups who say it is inhumane.

 The law, which follows a constitutional amendment approved in June that brands rough sleeping a crime, empowers police to order homeless people to move into shelters. If they disobey three times within a 90-day period, the police can detain them and destroy their personal belongings.

 Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government has said the new law aims to provide proper living conditions for the homeless and has set aside money to help them.

 But Gabor Ivanyi, who leads the group Oltalom (Shelter) which operates homeless shelters with 600 beds in Budapest, said the government had failed to conduct a proper dialogue with charity organisations before it passed the legislation.

 “This law serves the aim of scaring the homeless to prompt them to flee (the streets),” Ivanyi said. “They are scared and don’t know what to do now. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow.”

 Homeless people had all but disappeared on Monday morning from underpasses in central Budapest where there would normally be plenty.

 The government says it has allocated about 9 billion forints ($32.17 million) to homeless care in its 2018 budget plus an additional 300 million forints to expand shelter capacities.

 “We believe we need to give additional help and not additional rights to homeless people,” Bence Retvari, state secretary, told reporters on Saturday according to a video posted on HirTv website.

 Retvari said further help would be available from Monday, without elaborating. On Sunday, around 500 protesters demonstrated against the law outside the Hungarian parliament.

 “I believe this is shameful… that they criminalise the impossible and helpless situation that these people are in,” said Agnes Merenyi, one of the demonstrators.

 An activist group called “Varos Mindenkie” (which means “the city is for everyone”) said in a statement: “(The constitutional amendment) allows the authorities to persecute the most helpless people with a wider range of police tools from October 15.” — Reuters
A ban on rough sleeping in public areas comes into force in Hungary. Despite international criticism of the law, the Hungarian government says it is in the "interests of society as a whole".