Anti-migration campaign vs reality: never came more foreigners to Hungary than in 2019
Based on the newest data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, the number of foreigners coming to Hungary reached a new record. Four out of ten immigrants are Ukrainians while the number of those coming from other EU-member states fell drastically.Â
“If you come to Hungary you cannot take the work of the Hungarians” – said the Hungarian government on huge billboards in 2015, at the beginning of the migration crisis. Since then,
migration has been in the focus of the government’s communication campaigns.
For example, the parliamentary group of Fidesz even has an anti-migration cabinet. In contrast, according to the latest data of the Hungarian Statistical Office (HSO), never came more foreigners to Hungary than in 2019 – azonnali.hu reported.Â
The number of foreigners was
55,297 last year
and the HSO regards those people foreigners who ask for a residence permit. In 2018, this number was 49 thousand, in 2017, 36 thousand while in 2016 only 23 thousand.Â
Even though the government says that the leftist opposition in Hungary is pro-migration, data show that under the eight years of Socialist governments the number of migrants never reached 36 thousand.
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Compared to 2018 the number of people coming from Ukraine increased significantly. In 2015, Hungarian authorities registered only 1,143 citizens from there, but this number rose to 16.7 thousand in 2018. Furthermore,
in 2019, 21 thousand Ukrainian citizens asked for a residence permit.Â
This means that 40 pc of the foreigners coming to Hungary are from Ukraine.
The reason behind that is that before the coronavirus epidemic the Hungarian economy struggled with a labour shortage, so not only Hungarians living in Subcarpathia (the most Western county in Ukraine) came but mostly Ukrainian nationals who did not have Hungarian citizenship (most Hungarians born in Subcarpathia already have Hungarian citizenship).Â
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese community increased, as well from 1,279 to 1,961. Even so, the number of people coming from Asia stagnates. Interestingly, the last peak of the influx was in 2014, when every third immigrant was from Asia. Therefore, their number stabilised in 12 thousand in the last few years. The number of
Serbians who gave 20 pc of the immigrants in 2007 fell drastically in the last few years to only five pc.Â
Meanwhile, the number of people coming from other EU-member states decreased significantly. 10 years ago, half of the foreigners coming to Hungary came from the EU.
Before the coronavirus epidemic, 200 thousand foreigners resided in Hungary. That is not a record because, in 2011, that number was 207 thousand.Â
And why does a foreign citizen come to Hungary? The most popular goals are:
- Work: 77,905 people
- Uknown reason: 32,119 people
- To settle down: 31,864
Furthermore, 5,033 people are currently in Hungary because they are internationally protected.
Â
Source: azonnali.hu
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9 Comments
Anti-immigration and anti-Muslim propaganda serves mainly two purposes: 1. exploit a cheap topic which appeals to ignorant masses to secure their votes. 2. divert attention from all the corruption and scandals involving the oligarchs.
@Mario
You know it’s geniuses like you that have the answer to every that anyone could ever want to ask. It’s ever amazing how nobody cared to and asked you for your own little tiny point of view.
Mario, We get it you are miserable in your life and want everyone to be miserable in their lives. I doubt very seriously you even live in Hungary. Many of us who have chosen to make our lives in Hungary did so because Hungary is great country with a great strong set of traditional family values. The Hungarian people are not against migration, they are against having their traditions and culture erased by the likes of you whom want a one world borderless government and to erase the history and cultures of this planet. That is happening in America now, the folks who think like you are trying to destroy statues and have the historical names of places changed. Since you want your place of abode over ran by people whom only take and will never become productive members of their adopted land I suggest you try Denmark or France. Denmark and France are full of the savages you love so much. The Muslim no go zones and criminality are not welcome in Hungary.
Muslims are a disgrace to the human race, wherever they go, they destroy the country, look at the UK, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, destroyed by the massive increase in Muslims.. Best to keep them out of Hungary, keep Hungary a good Christian country..
Mario Is likely a young & therefore naive, sure in his teen angst & bolstered with his leftist media propaganda material. Mario, you have no idea what u r talking about. SPeak to HUngarians, not to leftists form western media. Oh, & grow up. .
I’ve had Hungarian residents permit over 9 years, I’ve seen some things in Hungary. Hospitals surprised me. Without being offensive, I wouldn’t like to be an inpatient in one. I’ve been inside 2 and both times sadden me. Immigrants will always want to settle in another country there’s no doubt about that. But the main focus is closer to home there are lovely stadiums and first class public transport. But the hospital’s are sadly lacking any form of modernisation from medical updates to medical outdated practices. The doctor’s do their best with what they have.
For me, as a Hungarian, some of the comments are very sad, and indicative of the times we live in.
I’m disappointed to see that some of my fellow countrymen are so blatantly racist.
I’ve worked overseas (a lot) in the diplomatic corps, I’ve seen racism at it’s worst, and at it’s best, and my heart and soul aches when I read some of these comments.
To the best of my knowledge, Hungary used to be one of the most intellectual countries in the world, and I firmly believe that intelligent people have enough nous not be racists.
I fear that Hungary is in a state of xenophobia, thanks to a PM who seems to want to cling onto power no matter what (much like Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Netanyahu, Trump, and Nicolás Maduro ]. Spreading a fear of the unknown is always a good bet to have oneself elected.
Having said that, I also thought that our PM was a like a breath of fresh air when he was FIRST elected. Things have changed, sadly not for the better.
@Mario and @ Steven, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said. Having said that, I expect, I too will have my throat jumped on to make me look like a fool, or a subversive influenced by the foreign media an/or leftists. So much for freedom of speech without fear of censorship or retribution.
@Simon, it is you who is a disgrace to the human resource, you sad racist. Keep your hate to yourself.
@Jack Russell, pray tell exactly how are you a productive member of the Hungarian society? I’ve got one piece of advice for you – people in glass houses should not throw stones.