Hungary tightened sanctions regarding foreign workers, new amendments are coming

The government tightened the sanctions regarding the employment of foreign workers from third countries. The new modifications aim to safeguard Hungarian workers in cases where employers seek to replace their existing Hungarian workforce with foreigners. Further restrictions may be introduced in the future.

Protection from foreign workers

As 24.hu has reported, the cabinet has tightened the rules on foreign workers from 1st March. Imre Szilárd Szabó, lawyer and Executive Vice President of the National Federation of Workers Councils, explained the essence of these modifications as follows: To counteract exploitative practices by employers, a provision has been introduced empowering government authorities to revoke work permits if employers seek to replace Hungarian workers with third-country nationals without valid cause.

Increased penalties

The legislation overseeing the regulatory actions of the Employment Inspectorate has been revised to increase penalties for the unlawful employment of third-country citizens. This revision introduces a heightened labour penalty for violations concerning the failure to report the conclusion of employment contracts for migrant workers. Furthermore, a significant aspect of the enhancement involves raising both the minimum and maximum discretionary fines for labour violations.