PM Orbán appoints minister responsible for suspending Hungarian citizenship

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has appointed the minister who will be responsible for suspending Hungarian citizenship. The new law, which empowers the authorities to suspend the Hungarian citizenship of non-EEA (EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) dual nationals, was passed and came into effect in June, following an amendment to the Hungarian Constitution by the Hungarian Parliament in April. PM Orbán has now designated the minister responsible for deciding on suspensions.

Hungarian citizenship can be suspended if there is a threat to national security

The new law allows a member of the government to suspend the Hungarian citizenship of non-EEA dual nationals if they pose a threat to Hungary’s public order or national security. Such a threat may be considered to exist if the person:

• serves in a foreign military or public service,
• acts on behalf of a foreign power or organisation in a way that is incompatible with Hungarian citizenship,
• has left Hungary to join a terrorist organisation,
• or has been legally convicted of serious crimes, such as crimes against humanity, treason, or financing terrorism.

The new regulation may affect hundreds of thousands of Hungarian citizens holding, for example, American, Canadian, or British citizenship. The Hungarian opposition has voiced concerns that the government may be aiming to target Hungarian-American dual national George Soros, who has been depicted as a principal adversary of the Hungarian government for over a decade. Others fear for the 2022 joint opposition prime ministerial candidate, Péter Márki-Zay, Mayor of Hódmezővásárhely, who holds Canadian citizenship. Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, has suggested that Soros could be among the first individuals to face citizenship suspension.

• Hundreds of Hungarian citizenships have been withdrawn: how and who can strip you from citizenship? – read more HERE

Justice Minister Tuzson to decide on suspensions

The law permits any individual to report someone they believe meets the criteria for citizenship suspension. According to a recent government decision, the minister who will decide on such matters is Justice Minister Bence Tuzson. This was published in Monday’s issue of the Magyar Közlöny (Hungarian Official Gazette).

Individuals affected may request the reinstatement of their citizenship if they can prove that the threat no longer exists; however, such a request may be submitted only once during the suspension period. The maximum duration of the suspension is ten years. For reasons of public or national security, the procedure may be conducted confidentially. During the process, the responsible minister may seek the opinion of the National Information Centre, but is not obliged to follow it.

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Expulsion and deportation

The suspension must be published in the Hivatalos Értesítő (Official Notice), and the individual concerned has 30 days to lodge an appeal with the Curia (Hungary’s supreme court).

If the individual is expelled and fails to leave Hungarian territory voluntarily or returns unlawfully after the expulsion decision becomes final, they must be taken into custody by the immigration authority, placed under immigration detention, and deported within 72 hours.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke of the importance of a “spring clean-up” in Hungary during his 15 March speech outside the Hungarian National Museum.

Read also:

• Hungarian bureaucracy survival guide: Residency, taxes, insurance

Read more about the Hungarian citizenship by clicking HERE.