Hundreds of Chinese guest workers are set to flood a tiny town in southern Hungary
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Mayor Áron Molnár has signed an agreement, following consultations with local residents, to house hundreds of Chinese guest workers in Algyő for the construction of the BYD factory in Szeged.
A Chinese subcontractor building the BYD plant will relocate 350 Chinese guest workers to Algyő under strict conditions set by the mayor, délmagyar.hu reports.
“I didn’t sense resistance from residents, and a relatively large number attended the public forum,” explained the mayor regarding his decision.
Where will the Chinese guest workers be housed?
The incoming workers will be accommodated in the Jura Industrial Park. A former fire station and three large office buildings will be converted for this purpose. The terms of the agreement, which both parties take seriously, stipulate that no more than 350 people may move into the designated accommodation under a fixed one-year contract.
“The risk of a long-term enclave of Chinese guest workers forming in the industrial park is avoidable. After one year, the council may decide not to sign any similar lease agreements again,” said the mayor.
The conditions of the agreement also include the presence of a security service in the park, the operation of a grocery and drinks shop, and the municipality’s right to terminate the contract in the event of negative experiences. Any future lease agreement will require prior municipal approval.
Why Algyő?
Due to the proximity of the industrial park, Algyő is a logical choice, as transporting workers to the factory is straightforward. Originally, BYD had planned to build two large container-style accommodation sites, but to date only one has been completed, and it is already full. As a result, the Algyő option has come to the fore.
AE Industry Hungary Ltd. informed both the Algyő local government and its residents about the housing arrangement. The company emphasised in a letter that the accommodation units in the industrial park will be located far from residential areas, thus minimising potential disturbances for locals. The firm highlighted the following advantages of the location:
“I didn’t sense resistance from residents, and a relatively large number attended the public forum,” explained the mayor regarding his decision.
Its really hard to understand the Hungarian people. we know all the recent migration rules changes, making hiring guest workers harder and harder. Even in 2017 Orban said no to guest workers, but then you see this kind of news and wonder how hypocritical Hungarian can be. Always playing to 2 sides with no clear pathway to follow. unbelievable
It seems the government is wholly incoherent in its “guest worker” policy. Why is there a “labour shortage” if there is unemployment? What benefit does Hungary get if factories are built and then staffed by “guest workers” the government says it doesn’t actually want?