[JURIST] The Hungarian government on Thursday filed a challenge [press release, in Hungarian] in the European Court of Justice to the EU’s quota plan that will distribute refugees throughout the member states. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban believes that migrants pose a threat to the nation after the attacks in Paris. Before borders were closed in October, Hungary opened its nation to 386,000 migrants. Orban has claimed that the Paris attackers recruited migrants from a train station in Budapest. Last month Hungary, along with Slovakia, Czech Republic and Romania opposed the new measure, but the four nations were outvoted [JURIST report] by the other member states. Under the current EU quota system, Hungary will take in 306 refugees from Greece and 988 from Italy.

The rights of migrant populations has emerged as one of the most significant humanitarian issue around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations. Last week UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed [JURIST report] the UN General Assembly and cautioned the international community to avoid discrimination against Muslims, especially refugees and migrants entering Europe, as a result of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris a week earlier. Earlier this month Amnesty International analyzed [JURIST report] the EU’s approach to the refugee crisis and recommends changes to ensure international law is followed and human rights are appropriately valued. In October Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] called on [JURIST report] the EU and Western Balkans states to focus on remedying what it characterized as deplorable conditions for asylum-seekers in Europe. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights gave the opening statement [JURIST report] at the 30th session of the Human Rights Council in September in which he addressed, among other pressing human rights issues, the migrant crisis. Germany announced [JURIST report] that month that it was invoking temporary border controls at the nation’s southern border with Austria, after thousands of immigrants entered the country.