Shocking: Planned new law could see dual nationals forced out of Hungary!
The Hungarian government is preparing a new amendment to the Hungarian constitution that could have a major impact on dual nationals living in Hungary. The new legislation would allow the expulsion of people who also hold the nationality of another country in certain cases. Fidesz says this is necessary to protect the country’s sovereignty and public order.
The leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, Máté Kocsis, said that in recent years foreign powers have increasingly tried to influence Hungary. According to him, this process has taken place not only through political actors, but also through NGOs, independent media and various forms of financial aid.
According to Index, Kocsis stressed that the government intends to take action against these attempts to influence Hungary, and one of the means of doing so will be to amend the Fundamental Law. Other measures are also planned, such as extending the powers of the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty and stricter financial controls on foreign-funded organisations.
Political corruption and international examples
The politician also referred to political corruption scandals in the United States and drew parallels with the situation in Hungary. He said that big powers often use methods to gain financial and political influence in a country. Máté Kocsis specifically mentioned the US ambassador David Pressman, who he considers to be a link in Hungary for such a network.
The government has not only prioritised the fight against foreign influence, but also plans to tighten up in other areas. Máté Kocsis spoke of an “Easter clean-up” in which Fidesz would use a government commissioner to reveal the financial support Hungary has received from abroad.
As a first step in the ‘clean-up’, the recently announced draft law states that if a dual national’s activities endanger Hungary’s security, the authorities can expel him or her from the country. Although the exact details are not yet known, the government says the aim is to prevent attempts to influence foreigners.
The Fidesz party also criticised its political opponents, with Máté Kocsis saying in an interview with Mandiner that Péter Magyar, the leader of the recently formed Tisza party, was using foreign funds to finance his political activities and that pro-war, pro-gender and pro-migration ideas were being introduced into Hungarian public life.
What might this mean for foreigners living in Hungary?
Although the bill mainly concerns dual nationals, its impact could be felt more widely. If adopted, the amendment would give the Hungarian government greater legal leeway to deport certain individuals on the grounds of national security.
For foreigners in Hungary, this may mean keeping an eye on political changes, especially if they are involved in civic or political activities in the country. It may also be important for them to be aware of their legal status in terms of residence and citizenship, as the new legislation may affect their status in the future.
As we wrote earlier, many guest workers leave Hungary to work in other countries, prompting PM Orbán to introduce stricter measures, read details HERE.
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What foreign funding (Russia) have Fidesz politicians been receiving for years to influence them to, for example, use Hungary’s veto in the EU and NATO to advance Russian interests? The whole party is throughly compromised by Russian influence by business connections through which kickbacks are made.
It would be a shame if lets say, 100,000 Chinese nationals purchased their Hungarian citizenship, failed to integrate into Hungarian culture and society, and lets say they built a Chinese University, funded by the CCP, in Hungary’s capital of Budapest. Yeah, that would be unacceptable, and completely undermine Hungary’s national and sovereign interests. Thank God Fidesz is defending Hungarian citizens from these horrific possibilities.
what the fuck are you saying, lol, Orban was literally talking to Xi Jinping and APPROVED the construction of Fudan University, known for spreading CCP propaganda worldwide, in Budapest, in an area which a STUDENT CITY has been planned for decades. Thankfully the city council barred the construction of the university.
I think the OP’s post was very much tongue in cheek.
You’re thoughtcrime has been reported to the regional thought authority. You will report to your nearest conditioning facility for immediate re-education. Thank you and God bless Fidesz.
This is a disgraceful attempt to try to silence the many Hungarians with a second nationality with the threat of exclusion from their homeland which is straight out of the Bolshevik playbook. They are likely to be disproportionately politically active and having lived, or continue to live abroad most will see Hungary in a different, less benevolent light. They are also likely to be a disproportionately important source of donations for the Tisza party. I’m lost for words.
The usual suspects bray and swoon but it makes perfect sense: If you are actively operating against the clearly expressed interests of the Hungarian nation, and you have somewhere else to go, then you are OUTTA HERE!
It’s completely without precedent that a country should seek to exclude its own citizens. Define, ‘operating against the clearly expressed interests’. Does expressing one’s reservations in a durable format count? What about providing monetary assistance to an opposition party? Is attending a protest rally sufficient? What if the rally is organised abroad? Do you support US citizens being excluded from the US because they express opposition to Trump? Would you be happy to see 50% of the US population being excluded from their homeland? Do you see any issues at all with this proposed law in Hungary?
There is a huge difference between foreigners who got the Hungarian citizenship and ethnic Hungarians who got a foreign citizenship later in life. The latter are Hungarians, the first are “paper Hungarians”. Those people have no ethnic, cultural or historical connection with us. All non Hungarians should be stripped of Hungarian citizenship in the first place. As we can see in Western Europe these liberal citizenship laws are suicidal. Jus sanguinsis is the way to go.
Firstly, I don’t believe the amendment will discriminate, the point is that if someone has a second citizenship, they’re fair game and can be deported or have entry barred as they have somewhere else to go. Secondly, I believe the amendment is squarely aimed at (as you describe them) ‘real’ Hungarians, those with a vested interest in the future of the country who might be involved in politics or civil society. Either those people who were born in Hungary and become naturalised citizens abroad in later life, or those ethnic Hungarians that acquired Hungarian nationality later on, having been born elsewhere. To address your point about stripping people of citizenship, note that nationality is offered to foreign residents on the basis of naturalisation after they’ve been resident for a sufficient period of time. Once provided, it isn’t within the government’s remit to simply remove unless exceptional circumstances present themselves and it can only take place within the tight confines of the law. In any case, this isn’t about stripping naturalised foreigners of their Hungarian citizenship, it’s about erecting barricades against all Hungarian citizens that hold a secondary nationality that the government in their unilateral opinion deem to be in some way ‘undesirable’ because of their actions.
As someone who was born Canadian, British, Irish, and Hungarian. Via descent and by birth too. I am planning to renounce all my other 3 nationalities if this law likely ends up happening. I have lived most of my live in Canada (about 15 years) since in first immigrated here in 2010 with my Canadian born parents. I am still planning on moving to Hungary regardless of this awful proposal, but I am definitely not happy about this and quite shocked considering this is coming from Hungary and how in the past they used to use citizenship as a weapon. Haven’t they learned? Clearly not!
Owen, my tuppence worth is that it would exceedingly unwise to renounce any of your citizenships in these circumstances, any passport is worth its weight in gold and you never know when they might be either useful or, literally, a lifesaver. If someone finds themselves in the cross hairs of the authorities and being a dual citizen could find themselves deported whereas solely as a Hungarian national they cannot be, you need to ask yourself if you’d want to stay in that sort of country anyway and if your three alternative nationalities might not be the path to a better life. I note you’re an Irish citizen which, as you’ll well know, is an EU nationality and confers an absolute right of residence in Hungary due to EU freedom of movement rules. If I were both an Irish and Hungarian citizen and Hungary banned dual nationality, I know which nationality I would be renouncing. It wouldn’t be my Irish one.
Canada, Ireland, and the UK, are worse in terms of things like safety as a result of things like uncontrolled mass immigration that isn’t as much of a problem in Hungary. So I wouldn’t really benefit from those countries in its current state anyway.
Owen, if Hungary prevented dual nationality, the most logical thing to do would be to renounce your Hungarian nationality and live in Hungary as an Irish national, which you have a de facto right to do. Problem solved.
At this stage there is nothing concrete to suggest that dual nationality will be forbidden, indeed it would cause an almighty headache for the millions that have acquired Hungarian citizenship in neighbouring countries due to their Hungarian heritage while retaining their local citizenship. The issue at stake here is that dual nationals could be deported or barred from entering according to a proposed constitutional amendment and if you were ever in this position, you’d be mightily glad you’ve got some other passports in your pockets to get out. Renouncing three other nationalities to retain your sole Hungarian one would be madness. Would you really want to be trapped in a country with the authorities breathing down your neck without the possibility to move elsewhere?
Irish nationals can be deported from Hungary like any other EU citizen. Hungarians cannot be deported at least under this new amendment those solely Hungarian only. That is why only being Hungarian would protect me from deportation. I don’t where I would go if I wanted to not live in Hungary, nor definitely not Canada for sure, UK, Ireland, or any other EU country for that matter. Maybe Russia would be my saving grace? I don’t know. Somewhere warm in Asia for example? I really don’t know.
ah yes, a true Hungarian writing in here.
this law is ridiculous and as we have seen with the National Sovereignty Office, this will just ban Hungarians who are in any way opposed to the nazi party in power.
and hear me out. those celebrating this law and hold a dual citizenship will regret it later. don’t come crying when all of a sudden you’re being expelled from Hungary because you’re not Hungarian.
I pay my taxes and until recently I was grateful for the chance of moving to Hungary and experiencing Hungarian culture. but recently, it just shows that Hungarians are extremely racist and this will never change. please, kick all the foreigners from the country, your country will cease to function, as there is simply not enough qualified and non-qualified hungarians to drive the economy.
What if all the Hungarian expats living outside Hungary were suddenly sent back to Hungary? Oh the screams from Victor would be so loud. There are several working in the Trump circle.
Well, I’m a dual national. I’m proud of both of my countries, but not nearly as proud of the leaders. So now what? I guess I had better have an escape plan, but where to? If I get kicked out of Hungary, does that qualify me as a refugee?…….or just a “migrant”. The question remains. Where should I plan to go?
Maybe Russia? I don’t know. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m hoping that the whole thing is about avoiding the terrible conditions that Brits are dealing w. in England, where they had to allow certain people into the land since at one time the Brits had invaded and taken ownership of those certain lands…and their citizens became subjects who then moved to the Kingdome. And then everyone else saw it a the destination with the most lax laws regarding requirements to learn the language, get jobs, learn civilized attitudes & behaviors….they are a joke now in the wold…Like an open sandwich inviting rats & cockroaches onto itself. Hungary needs to avoid such a future! The first time a visitor dares to fly a flag in a public place that is not the national REd WHite and GREEN. or destroys the flag of Hungary….out!
This is nothing to do with the matter at hand, which is about sanctioning Hungarian citizens that hold a second nationality, no more, no less. How can we be talking about immigration in general when we’re referring to Hungarian nationals, both those born in Hungary that acquired nationality elsewhere due to naturalisation, as well as those in the worldwide Hungarian diaspora that acquired Hungarian nationality on the basis of descent? The third category comprises of foreigners that acquire Hungarian citizenship after having been resident in Hungary for a minimum of 8 years. Or are you implying these people are immigrants, cockroaches coming to feast on your sandwiches?
Ilona, you just proved that women are the logical sex. Congratulations.
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