Hardships continue: Filipina guest worker Rena faces deportation despite Hungarian husband and newborn child
Despite marrying a Hungarian software developer, Péter, and giving birth to their baby, Rena has been ordered to leave Hungary. Authorities say immigration rules allow no exceptions, even though the baby is still being breastfed. The strict immigration laws mean she may have to return home, with family reunification only possible at a later date.
A love story and a swift marriage
Like thousands of others, Rena came to Hungary as a factory worker from the Philippines, a country grappling with severe public safety issues and economic struggles. According to her Hungarian husband Péter, she’s valued in Hungary roughly as much as a pharmacist with a degree would be back home. As previously reported, over 8,000 Filipino guest workers are currently working in Hungary, especially in the automotive, tourism, and agricultural sectors. Their labor is in high demand, as Hungary faces significant structural labor shortages and struggles to fill certain roles with domestic workers.
According to Péter, who spoke with Blikk, Rena, 35, arrived in Hungary in spring 2023 on a two-year work visa, which can be extended. She met Péter in January 2024 through a dating app where they communicated in English, and they were married by October. The couple now has a two-month-old baby.
Ordered to leave within weeks, baby or not
It could have been a heartwarming love story if not for the Hungarian immigration authorities. For guest workers, putting down roots in Hungary is notoriously difficult, which shows that large-scale labor migration isn’t a looming threat. Workers can only stay as long as their permit allows; once it expires, they must return home.
Rena’s case is unique, and the couple has tried to make that clear to Hungarian officials, but they’ve run into significant red tape. Despite her employer renewing her residency permit in December, immigration authorities revoked both her work visa and residency due to her pregnancy. The employment agency refuses to pay her maternity benefits, and in a notice dated 31 July, immigration authorities gave Rena one month to leave the country. That deadline might be extended, but their family reunification request has already been denied.
Rena, Péter, and their child. They’re not giving up:
Authorities say family reunification requests must be filed from outside the country. But the journey home could take 24–48 hours and is prohibitively expensive. Travelling with a newborn that young is nearly impossible. Péter believes the authorities should consider their case on humanitarian grounds, noting that his wife is trying to integrate, including learning Hungarian. The National Directorate-General of Alien Policing told Blikk they cannot comment on individual cases due to legal restrictions.
Nevertheless, Péter is determined to protect his wife and keep the family together.
More Filipino guest workers expected in Hungary
Adrián Farkas, president of the Association for the Employment of Filipino Workers in Central Europe, said Europe could attract up to a million Filipino guest workers over the next 5-10 years. Competition among Central European countries for this workforce has already begun. In 2022, the Hungarian government made it easier to hire foreign workers, and several neighbouring countries have signed strategic agreements with the Philippines.
You can watch Deutsche Welle’s report on Filipino guest workers in Hungary here:
Click for more guest worker-related news.
Read also:
- Are Filipino guest workers the future of Hungary? – details in THIS article
- Hungary urgently needs guest workers as rules tighten: here’s what they can now earn
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