Tens of thousands could flood the Hungarian labour market: will guest workers be sent home?

The official explanation is that the Hungarian economy depends heavily on foreign guest workers, primarily from Southeast Asia, because domestic companies cannot meet their labour needs from local sources. However, a newly issued government decree could unleash tens of thousands of Hungarians onto the labour market, potentially depriving many guest workers of their livelihoods.

Life is not easy for guest workers in Hungary

Being a guest worker in Hungary is no simple matter. On the one hand, the regulatory environment makes it practically impossible to settle permanently or obtain Hungarian citizenship, even if the individual marries and starts a family there. In August, we reported the story of Rena from the Philippines, who, despite having a child with her Hungarian husband, is expected by the authorities to return to her home country and apply for family reunification from there — a near-impossible task for a mother with a breastfeeding infant.

For many guest workers, the working conditions are far from what was promised back home. They often do not work in the positions advertised and, more painfully, earn much less than they were promised. Most arrive in Hungary already in debt, and instead of supporting their families back home, they struggle merely to avoid starvation themselves. Their only option is to live almost ascetically, spending little beyond what is needed for food and clothing.

• More and more industries in Hungary dependent on guest workers: new reality of the labour market?

Tens of thousands of Hungarians might enter the labour market

While these changes could affect guest workers, Hungarian employers will also face new realities following a recent government decree. The Orbán cabinet has decided that only after an individual assessment may those who have worked exclusively as public workers for at least ten years remain in the programme.