The country erected a razor-wire barrier on the border with Serbia and Croatia in 2015 as one million people, most of whom were fleeing Syria, entered the EU.

The government of Viktor Orban accused Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros and others associated with him of encouraging the migrants. Its 2018 ‘Stop Soros’ laws made it an offence to help people make asylum applications.

The court said the member state had failed to satisfy EU law by “criminalising the actions of any person who, in connection with an organising activity, provides assistance in respect of the making or lodging of an application for asylum”.

The legislation restricts “the right of access to applicants for international protection and the right to communicate with those persons”, in addition to the right of the migrants themselves to consult a lawyer.

Amnesty International said the verdict “sends a message that targeting those who stand up for the rights of refugees cannot, and will not be tolerated”.