Hungarian government: Supporting Ukrainian minority in Hungary more important than ever before

Supporting the Ukrainian minority in Hungary and the representation of their rights is more important than ever before, the foreign ministry’s state secretary for developing bilateral relations told a Hungarian-Ukrainian youth conference in Budapest on Saturday.

Supporting Ukrainian minority more important than ever

Boglárka Illés called those two goals important, citing studies suggesting that the number of Ukrainian nationals settling and currently living in Hungary has increased to over 40,000 from a few thousand earlier.

The Hungarian government firmly condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, she said.

Hungary has carried out the largest-ever humanitarian aid operation since the outbreak of the war in neighbouring Ukraine, she said. While Hungary recognises Ukraine’s right to defend itself, it provides help in every possible form to refugees fleeing the war, said Illés.

Since February 2022, more than one million people have crossed the border to Hungary from Ukraine, she said, adding that over 5,000 Ukrainian children are ensured education and safe supplies in some 1,500 schools in Hungary.

Hungary also provides support to more than half a million families in Ukraine in the form of developing and refurbishing schools and hospitals.