Hungary border control

Hungary allows unrestricted entry from more countries than announced before

travel tourism airport passport

The rule applies only for business travellers and is in effect from this Tuesday, at 11 pm. The government announced before that people arriving from the United States, China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, Singapore, Bahrein or the United Arab Emirates would be allowed into Hungary without restrictions.

According to portfolio.hu, however, based on a new decree, there are four more countries where business travellers can come to Hungary without any restrictions. 

We reported on Monday that the foreign minister and the interior minister were also compiling a list of countries from which Hungarian citizens travelling on business could return to Hungary without restrictions. Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss, a member of the operative board handling the coronavirus pandemic, said later on Tuesday that Hungarian business travellers returning from the European Union, the European Economic Area and aspiring EU member states would also be exempt from the quarantine requirements mandatory for others.

It seems that the new list is the result of the work of the two ministries.

The four countries where the citizens can enter Hungary without restrictions are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

The new list is in effect from yesterday 11 pm.

As we reported before, PM Viktor Orbán started to talk about the need for stricter entry rules at the end of February after the third wave of the coronavirus epidemic reached Hungary. Based on the original rules introduced last Saturday, relatively free travel between countries is only possible if we possess a certain document verifying the business-related objective we travel with. For this reason, many have created fake papers.

To prevent taking advantage of this loophole, the governmental decree on travel restrictions during the state of emergency has been amended. A Hungarian citizen leaving the country for an economic or business purpose and wishing to return will be subjected to all restrictions imposed on Hungarian citizens entering Hungary. This means that everyone will be subjected to a medical check-up, but the otherwise 10-day-long quarantine

can be avoided with a negative PCR test.

On the other hand, if they travelled abroad to any of the countries listed below for an economic or business purpose and they can prove so upon returning, entering the country will not be linked to any restrictions. Here is the list of said groups of countries.

Travelling from Hungary to:

  • any member state of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA);
  • a country that is not a member state of the EU or the EEA but has a multilateral agreement with these communities and possesses an equal position to EEA states;
  • a candidate country to join the European Union;
  • the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;
  • or to a country previously accepted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in accordance with the Minister in charge of border control.

When it comes to foreign citizens wishing to enter Hungary, changes are similar.

If you travel with a business purpose, but suspicion arises concerning the authenticity of the document certifying the objective of your trip, quarantine is applied automatically.

Aside from these decisions, the decree gives authorisation to assigned Ministers to appoint certain countries from where entry is allowed without any further restrictions, making the change on travel restrictions somewhat less harsh.

Hungary is among the countries having the world’s most powerful passports

citizenship

Japan is in first place consecutively for the third year. Even though 2020 was not about travelling and visiting other countries for most of us, hopefully, this will change in 2021 thanks to the vaccines and the inoculation campaigns all countries in the world conducts to immunise their citizens against the deadly COVID-19 virus. Therefore, it is worth to measure how strong Hungary’s passport is currently.

According to atlasandboots.com, they took a look “at the newly released ranking of the world’s most powerful passports, compiled by Henley Passport Index. With historical data spanning 16 years, the index ranks passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.“

Currently, Japan has the strongest passport in the world,

with which one can travel to 191 destinations. The East Asian country is followed by Singapore, with 190 destinations. Then come Germany and South Korea, both allowing them to enter 189 countries.

You can find the complete list of the top 10 states below:

1. Japan: 191 destinations

2. Singapore: 190 

3. Germany: 189 

3. South Korea: 189

4. Finland: 188

4. Italy: 188

4. Luxembourg: 188

4. Spain: 188

5. Austria: 187

5. Denmark: 187

It is interesting to look at which travel documents are the least powerful in the world. On the last place, there is Afghanistan, where your passport allows entering to only 26 countries. It might be surprising, but even the North Korean passport makes it possible to travel to 39 destinations. You can find the bottom ten below:

103. North Korea: 39 destinations

104. Libya: 38

104. Nepal: 38

105. Palestinian Territory: 37

106. Somalia: 33

106. Yemen: 33

107. Pakistan: 32

108. Syria: 29

109. Iraq: 28

110. Afghanistan: 26

According to atlasandboots.com, “the Henley Passport Index uses data from the International Air Transport Authority to cross-check 199 passports against 227 possible travel destinations. For each travel destination, if no visa is required or a visa-on-arrival is available, the passport in question receives a score of 1. If a visa or other form of government approval is required before departure, the passport receives a score of 0.”

Then the scores are added up, producing the total meaning the number of destinations you can reach with the given country’s passport. Interestingly, this is the third consecutive year that Japan remains on the top of the list jointly or alone with Singapore.

Over the past seven years, the US passport has fallen from the number one spot to 7th place, a position it currently shares with the UK – atlasandboots.com says. Meanwhile, North Koreans can travel visa-free to only one European country: Belarus.

Hungary is in tenth place, allowing you to enter 182 countries

if you hold their passport. The biggest climbers over the past decade are United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Timor-Leste, Ukraine, Georgia and Peru. In contrast, Syria, Yemen, Nigeria, Libya, The Gambia and Sierra Leone have fared the worst – atlasandboots.com reported.

You can check the full list below:

Rank Passport Score
1 Japan 191
2 Singapore 190
3 Germany 189
  South Korea 189
4 Finland 188
  Italy 188
  Luxembourg 188
  Spain 188
5 Austria 187
  Denmark 187
6 France 186
  Ireland 186
  Netherlands 186
  Portugal 186
  Sweden 186
7 Belgium 185
  New Zealand 185
  Norway 185
  Switzerland 185
  The United Kingdom 185
  The United States 185
8 Australia 184
  The Czech Republic 184
  Greece 184
  Malta 184
9 Canada 183
10 Hungary 182
11 Iceland 181
  Lithuania 181
  Poland 181
  Slovakia 181
12 Latvia 180
  Slovenia 180
13 Estonia 179
14 Liechtenstein 178
  Malaysia 178
15 Chile 174
  Cyprus 174
  Monaco 174
16 United Arab Emirates 173
17 Romania 172
18 Bulgaria 171
  Croatia 171
19 Argentina 170
  Brazil 170
  Hong Kong (SAR China) 170
20 San Marino 168
21 Andorra 167
22 Brunei 166
23 Barbados 161
  Israel 161
24 Mexico 159
25 St. Kitts and Nevis 156
26 Bahamas 155
27 Uruguay 153
  Vatican City 153
28 Antigua and Barbuda 151
  Seychelles 151
29 Costa Rica 150
  Trinidad and Tobago 150
30 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 148
31 Mauritius 146
  St. Lucia 146
32 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) 145
33 Grenada 144
  Macao (SAR China) 144
34 Dominica 143
35 Panama 142
36 Paraguay 141
37 Peru 135
38 El Salvador 134
  Honduras 134
  Serbia 134
39 Guatemala 133
40 Samoa 131
  Solomon Islands 131
41 Ukraine 130
  Vanuatu 130
42 Colombia 129
  Nicaragua 129
  Venezuela 129
43 Tuvalu 127
44 Tonga 125
45 Montenegro 124
  North Macedonia 124
46 Kiribati 123
  Marshall Islands 123
47 Moldova 120
  Palau Islands 120
48 Micronesia 118
49 Bosnia and Herzegovina 117
50 Russian Federation 116
51 Georgia 115
52 Albania 114
53 Turkey 110
54 Belize 101
  South Africa 101
55 Kuwait 96
56 Qatar 95
57 Timor-Leste 94
58 Ecuador 92
59 Nauru 89
60 Fiji 88
  Guyana 88
61 Jamaica 86
62 Botswana 85
  Maldives 85
63 Papua New Guinea 84
64 Bahrain 83
65 Oman 80
66 Saudi Arabia 79
  Thailand 79
67 Bolivia 78
  Suriname 78
68 Namibia 77
69 Lesotho 76
70 Belarus 75
  China 75
  Kazakhstan 75
71 Eswatini 74
72 Malawi 73
73 Kenya 72
74 Indonesia 71
  Tanzania 71
  Tunisia 71
  Zambia 71
75 The Gambia 68
76 Azerbaijan 67
  Uganda 67
77 Cape Verde Islands 66
  The Dominican Republic 66
  Philippines 66
78 Ghana 65
  Zimbabwe 65
79 Cuba 64
  Morocco 64
80 Armenia 63
  Kyrgyzstan 63
  Sierra Leone 63
81 Benin 62
  Mongolia 62
  Mozambique 62
82 Sao Tome and Principe 61
83 Rwanda 60
84 Burkina Faso 59
  Mauritania 59
85 India 58
  Tajikistan 58
86 Cote d’Ivoire 57
  Gabon 57
  Uzbekistan 57
87 Senegal 56
88 Equatorial Guinea 55
  Guinea 55
  Madagascar 55
  Togo 55
89 Cambodia 54
  Mali 54
  Niger 54
  Vietnam 54
90 Bhutan 53
  Chad 53
  Comoro Islands 53
  Guinea-Bissau 53
  Turkmenistan 53
91 Central African Republic 52
92 Algeria 51
  Jordan 51
93 Angola 50
  Burundi 50
  Egypt 50
  Laos 50
94 Cameroon 49
  Haiti 49
  Liberia 49
95 Congo (Rep.) 48
96 Djibouti 47
  Myanmar 47
97 Nigeria 46
98 Ethiopia 44
99 South Sudan 43
100 Congo (Dem. Rep.) 42
  Eritrea 42
  Sri Lanka 42
101 Bangladesh 41
  Iran 41
102 Kosovo 40
  Lebanon 40
  Sudan 40
103 North Korea 39
104 Libya 38
  Nepal 38
105 Palestinian Territory 37
106 Somalia 33
  Yemen 33
107 Pakistan 32
108 Syria 29
109 Iraq 28
110 Afghanistan 26

Hungary allows unrestricted entry for business travellers from 13 states ?

budapest

Hungary has lifted coronavirus-related restrictions on business travellers entering the country from 13 states, the government website said late on Monday.

Latest numbers – March 2, 2021

Fully 130 patients, generally elderly with an underlying condition, and 2,764 new coronavirus infection have been registered over the past 24 hours, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Tuesday.

The number of infections has risen to 435,689, while the death toll has increased to 15,188. The number of recoveries stands at 324,202.

There are 96,299 active infections, while hospitals are caring for 6,071 Covid patients, 581 of whom are on ventilators.

Fully 35,023 people are in official home quarantine, while the number of tests carried out has increased to 3,693,390.

 

Altogether 721,677 people have been vaccinated so far, with 252,847 having received a second shot.

Most infections have been registered in Budapest (82,044) and Pest County (56,346), followed by Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén (24,903), Győr-Moson-Sopron (24,545) and Hajdú-Bihar counties (24,150). The county least affected by the infection is Tolna (9,722).

Entry for business travellers from 13 states

Citizens, or those holding a residency permit and travelling on business, from the United States, China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, Singapore, Bahrein or the United Arab Emirates will be allowed into Hungary without restrictions, kormany.hu said.

The foreign minister and the interior minister are also compiling a list of countries from which Hungarian citizens travelling on business will be able to return to Hungary without restrictions, kormany.hu said.

Lieutant Colonel Róbert Kiss, a member of the operative board handling the coronavirus pandemic, said later on Tuesday that Hungarian business travellers returning from the European Union, the European Economic Area and aspiring EU member states are also exempt from the quarantine requirements mandatory for others.

The decree came into effect on Monday evening.

Restrictions to stay in place until March 15

The government will keep coronavirus-related restrictions in place until March 15, and secondary schools will continue digital education, read more HERE.

A decree made commercial P+Rs, parking garages and parking lots in residential areas free of charge from 7:00 in the evening until 7:00 in the morning. Soldiers are helping the police in carrying out their duties in public areas. Soldiers have also been assigned to help out staff in 93 hospitals around Hungary.

The curfew is in force between 8pm and 5am, and work carried out beyond the home must be justified.

With the exception of pharmacies and petrol stations, shops can be open until 7pm. Hairdressers, masseurs and personal trainers must observe general curfew rules. Family and private events including birthday celebrations can be held with a maximum of ten people attending, children do not count in the headcount.

A major new rule is that face masks must be worn in public spaces in localities with more than 10,000 residents, though it is up to local mayors to decide which spaces the rule applies to. Restaurants are limited to offering takeaways, while hotels are not allowed to cater to tourists, only guests arriving for business, economic or educational purposes. Sports events must be held behind closed doors.

Also, leisure facilities such as fitness gyms, indoor swimming pools, museums, libraries, cinemas, zoos and skating rinks must suspend their services. Events, including cultural events, cannot be held under the special rules.

All news about Coronavirus in Hungary

travel tourism airport passport
Read alsoEU to propose vaccine passports in March in time for summer

What role for vaccine passports in coronavirus fight?

budapest airport

As the rollout of vaccines against COVID-19 gathers pace, countries from Sweden to Israel are exploring how certificates and passports could help reopen economies by identifying those protected against the virus.

But a push for identity proofs and digital certificates risks excluding poorer and vulnerable groups from vaccine passports and the benefits that come with them, rights experts warn.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation spoke to business executives, researchers and advocates about what role vaccine passports should play in the global fight against the pandemic.

MELODY PATRY, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, ACCESS NOW

“Any vaccine certificate needs to be carefully regulated, with a clearly defined and narrow purpose of checking if someone has received the vaccine. It should not be used to limit people from travel, livelihoods or societal participation.

Putting sensitive health data into the hands of authorities — like border control agents, police officers, employers or school administrators — creates serious privacy risks right away and threatens to evolve into more permanent health surveillance infrastructure over time.

Vaccine ‘passports’ also raise concerns about freedom of movement and assembly. Whether someone is entering a building or a country, misuse of these tools would restrict people’s ability to access essential services, work, study, travel and participate in civic life.”

ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

“Vaccines will play a role in re-establishing global connectivity. Testing and contact tracing are also needed. In the next month, IATA will launch the IATA Travel Pass which will help travellers manage verified digital health credentials —vaccine certificates and test results.

But there are fundamental pieces still missing to maximise its efficiency (namely) global standards for digital vaccination certifications and testing documentation.

To start, solutions must be secure – with passengers in control of their data – interoperable and integrated into travel processes. That’s a high bar that IATA Travel Pass will meet. Billions of travellers cannot be efficiently processed any other way.”

IMOGEN PARKER, HEAD OF POLICY, ADA LOVELACE INSTITUTE

“If governments have sufficient evidence, and identify clear use cases for vaccine passports, they need to acknowledge and clearly articulate the trade-offs between public health, economic benefit, liberties and social inequity those use cases will entail.

Ultimately, governments should engage with and listen to the public on what use cases are legitimate and what trade-offs the public is willing to make.

This is particularly important with groups at greater risk of discrimination as a result of their introduction, such as insecure workers, those unable or unwilling to be vaccinated, or those who face over-surveillance.”

KEVIN TRILLI, CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, ONFIDO

“Vaccine passports provide a simple, convenient tool that can be quickly implemented to help get travel and many societal events moving again.

Digitising vaccine passports makes them harder to forge and provides a much better user experience. They can be timed-out across multiple devices, either when a booster is required or immunity expires, and instead of carrying your paper-based vaccine certificates your phone can seamlessly inform gatekeepers that you have the correct vaccinations.

To prevent fraud, we need to be able to safely bind a person’s digital identity with their immunisation certificate. This can be done by simply requesting a photo of a government ID and a selfie. We can ensure users need only share their health status and no other information while ensuring personal data is securely stored on the owner’s device.”

SILKIE CARLO, DIRECTOR, BIG BROTHER WATCH

“Vaccine passports lack any rationale, unless the (British) government is trying to create a draconian, two-tier surveillance state. In just a few weeks, everyone in the most vulnerable groups will have been offered a vaccination. This means deaths and hospitalisations will plummet, and we should be reunited with our freedoms.

But we won’t be reunited with freedom if the government forces us to carry vaccine IDs – we’ll become a dystopian checkpoint society that discriminates against those who can’t have a vaccine for health reasons or pregnancy, that leaves behind those who have less access to healthcare, and that excludes those who delay or decide against a vaccine.”

TOM FISHER, SENIOR RESEARCHER, PRIVACY INTERNATIONAL

“Vaccine passports will create exclusions and discriminations globally, with billions prevented from travelling internationally, potentially for years to come. Within countries we will see similar concerns, as access to vaccinations and identity documents are often linked to issues like race, class and gender.

We’re already seeing how vaccination passports will be used to push forward broader digital ID systems. These systems risk exclusion and exploitation, particularly if introduced without proper oversight and accountability during a pandemic.

We all want to see an end to the restrictions this pandemic has brought; but introducing vaccine passports risks putting us into a state of permanent pandemic.”

Read alsoVaccine passports to bring back Hungarian tourism?

EU to propose vaccine passports in March in time for summer

travel tourism airport passport

The European Commission will present a proposal in March on creating an EU-wide digital COVID-19 vaccination passport that may allow Europeans to travel more freely over the peak summer holiday period.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the coming legislative proposal in a speech to German conservative lawmakers on Monday, providing a few more details in subsequent tweets.

The “digital green pass” would provide proof that a person has been vaccinated, results of tests for those not yet vaccinated and information on recovery for people who have contracted COVID-19.

“The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad – for work or tourism,” she said in a tweet.

EU leaders agreed last week to work on vaccine certificates, for which southern countries such as Spain and Greece are pushing to unlock tourism this summer.

However, a number of countries say it will first need to be established that vaccinated people cannot transmit the virus to others. Some countries, such as France and Belgium, also expressed concern that easing travel only for inoculated people would be unfair.

The Commission said it would seek to avoid discrimination against citizens who have not received a vaccine.

EU countries agreed in January on the basic data requirements of a vaccination certificate. A Commission spokesman said the EU executive would seek to coordinate on security standards and help connect the national health systems.

balaton sound
Read alsoFestival season to restart this year in Hungary?

Over 15,000 illegal migrants apprehended this year, says PM advisor

illegal-migration

Hungarian authorities have apprehended 15,300 illegal migrants at Hungary’s borders so far this year, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor said on Friday.

Proceedings have been launched against a total of 174 people smugglers, György Bakondi told public news channel M1, adding that most of them had been arrested on the Hungary-Serbia border.

Bakondi also said the Hungarian government “is used to” having European Union institutions and the EU court issue decisions that are out of line with Hungarian laws and the government’s duty to keep the country safe.

He said the European Commission had taken action against Hungary in connection with a package of laws passed in 2018 that criminalised aiding people smugglers and illegal migrants.

Hungary is prepared to debate the issue and will assert its position on it, he said.

border koronavirus.gov.hu hungary
Read alsoOrbán: Stricter travel rules needed

Orbán: Stricter travel rules needed

border koronavirus.gov.hu hungary

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has appealed to Hungarians to register to receive the coronavirus vaccine, saying that all applicants would receive their first dose by Easter. This would result in the highest vaccination rate in the European Union, he added.

Orbán also said in an interview to public radio on Friday that Hungary’s borders must definitely be tightened and stricter travel rules introduced in light of the big escalation of the coronavirus epidemic. Even business people must understand that viral variants must be radically curbed, even for business trips beyond Europe’s borders, he added.

The prime minister said many people were planning trips to “exotic destinations” which were getting more affordable in the current circumstances, and he noted that some of the more infectious virus mutations are actually from Africa.

Orbán also noted that the operative body responsible for handling the epidemic ordered hospitals to ramp up their level of preparedness at its meeting this morning, and this level would be the same as during the critical phases of the epidemic in April and November last year.

The number of infections is expected to increase drastically in the weeks ahead, putting an increased burden on the health-care system, Orbán said.

Most vaccinations are carrried out by GPs, so there will be enough people to continue the vaccination drive, he added.

Human Resources Minister Miklós Kásler, he said, had acted wisely by stopping certain hospitals from returning to normal operations because these can join the fight against the epidemic.

Commenting on press reports about Hungary not tapping the entire amount of Moderna vaccine available, he said “we are good at tapping resources”, with 17 million doses of vaccine reserved by the country. However, vaccines ordered by the European Union are arriving at a slower rate than projected and “without the Russian and Chinese vaccines we would not have enough”, he added.

The Chinese vaccine will soon become available to those overseeing the protective efforts, he said.

He slammed certain politicians for being “irresponsible”, insisting that the left wing was involved in spreading fake news and uncertainty, and trying to discourage people from getting vaccinated when this was the only chance to improve the situation.

He asked all Hungarians to register for vaccination and promised that every applicant would get their first jab by Easter. As a result, Hungary could have the highest proportion of vaccinated population in the EU, he added.

Asked about possible EU infringement proceedings in connection with partial border closures, Orbán said Brussels was worried about the European economy being immobilised by curbs on freight, but now was not the time to hold each other accountable amid the Covid crisis, he added.

Every country must protect itself and also maintain the flow of goods needed to run the economy, he said.

Orbán said that whereas he would prefer to defend the European Commission, the body deserved censure for wasting time by trying to obtain a vaccine cheaper, but ultimately its procurement efforts should be supported.

He insisted that Hungary’s strategy of sticking by its national right to licence vaccines was correct.

The prime minister said the country’s vaccination drive was being run “rather well” and was progressing accordingly. More people could be vaccinated at the same time if more vaccines were available, he said.

Orbán warned that in the third wave of the epidemic many tens of thousands could lose their jobs. He noted wage subsidies and job-saving schemes, adding that subsidies were being provided in the first month after the restrictions are lifted.

He noted that 55,000 fewer people have a job than a year ago, adding that at least as many jobs must be created in the coming months.

Regarding recent cyber attacks on government sites, he said the attacks came from “the international arena” as well as internally, the latter being political in nature. Protection systems need constant improvement, he added.

Justice minister: Government to continue ‘protecting borders of Hungary, Europe’

migration - Hungary border fence army

The government will continue to protect the borders of Hungary and Europe, and will make every effort to prevent the creation of international migrant corridors, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in reaction to an opinion of the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union on Thursday.

Commenting in a post on Facebook in connection with Athanasios Rantos’s opinion that the court should partially uphold proceedings by the European Commission against certain elements of the Stop Soros package of laws, Varga said:

“Again, another example of how the Western thought bubble works.”

“It is clear that no matter how cooperative the Hungarian government may be, it is again easier for the Brussels elite to initiate proceedings against Hungary by hiding behind well-used mantras and magic words,” she said.

Varga said the EC and the Advocate General “unfortunately” agreed that it was “completely acceptable to support, facilitate and organise illegal migration.” Conversely, the Hungarian criminal code classifies such activities as a criminal offence, she added.

“According to the Hungarian Government, the Commission misunderstands the factual situation and scope of the punishable offense, on the other hand, the Brussels board has not been able to substantiate its argument with any evidence,” Varga said.

She said it was still possible to submit “a letter of intent to lodge an asylum claim” at Hungarian foreign missions.

Hungary’s penalising aid to asylum seekers violates EU law, says advocate general

hungary border fence migration

Hungary’s criminalisation of activities aimed at helping migrants apply for asylum, who do not meet the national criteria for international protection, violates European Union law, the advocate general for the bloc’s Luxembourg court said on Thursday.

Hungary’s parliament in 2018 passed a package of laws dubbed “Stop Soros” which criminalised the “organisation and promotion of illegal migration”.

The European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Hungary over the legislation, at the end of which it turned to the Court of Justice of the European, challenging what it called Hungary’s restriction of activities aiding asylum seekers and violation of their right to seek protection.

Anastasios Rantos, the advocate general of the Court of Justice of the European Union, said in a non-binding opinion that criminalising such activities went against the EU’s legislation guaranteeing assistance to those applying for international protection.

He noted that under the Hungarian law, asylum seekers were only eligible for international protection in Hungary if they arrived directly from a country not considered safe. Because Hungary classifies Serbia as a safe country, migrants arriving from there are ineligible for international protection.

Rantos also noted a ruling by the CJEU last March, which declared Hungary’s rules on safe transit countries to be in breach of EU law.

He said that every person or organisation helping migrants who enter Hungary from Serbia “is deemed to be aware” that the migrants’ asylum applications would be rejected and that they are risking criminal prosecution.

Rantos said Hungary’s criminalisation of these sort of activities served as a deterrent for those who wanted to make it easier for asylum seekers apply for international protection or seek humanitarian assistance.

The advocate general said that another law prohibiting those facing criminal proceedings “for having facilitated illegal immigration” from going within 8km of Hungary’s external border also aggravated the negative effects of criminalising the assistance of asylum seekers. He added, however, that this measure did not violate EU law, arguing that it merely served to enable the authorities to prohibit those suspected of having committed a crime from accessing areas connected with those offences.

Rantos therefore proposed that the CJEU reject the part of the EC’s legal challenge in which the commission seeks to establish Hungary’s failure to fulfil its obligations on the basis of that legislation alone.

Though the advocate general’s opinion is not legally binding, prior experience suggests the court will be strongly influenced by it.

Hungary to ask Austria to help commuters

KURZ, Sebastian

Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Monday that Hungary will ask Austria to make border crossing more flexible and possibly faster for Hungarian commuters, after a meeting with lawmakers representing the electoral districts in the western border region.

As one of the European countries fighting to combat the current wave of the coronavirus epidemic, Austria last week tightened its border controls, which has put a significant burden on Hungarian workers commuting to the neighbouring country on almost a daily basis, Szijjártó said.

Under the new rules introduced on February 10, anyone wishing to enter Austria must register in advance. They must also present a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours, or be tested within 24 hours of their arrival in the country.

The registration rule also applies to cross-border commuters who must also present a negative Covid-19 test no older than one week.

Szijjártó said that having reviewed the effects of the new border controls at Monday’s meeting, they had seen that the measures had caused “serious disruptions” on the first week of their implementation. It must be acknowledged, he said, that Austria had made great effort to minimise the disruptions, but commuters still face more difficulties than before border controls had been tightened.

He said one major problem was the long waiting time at border crossing points.

“We will therefore ask our Austrian colleagues to open up more lanes for vehicle traffic where possible during the morning and the evening hours and increase administrative staff to speed up entry on that side of the border,” Szijjártó said.

He called testing another major issue, noting that Hungarian contract workers have been in many instances required by their Austrian employer to travel to its testing spot far away from the border.

“This is why we are also going to ask Austria to allow the testing of Hungarian commuters at a spot near the border,” Szijjártó said, adding that he would hold consultations with the Austrian interior minister on the matter.

Sissi Romy Schneider movie
Read alsoWhen will Sissi’s new series debut on Netflix?!

New entry rules to apply to Austria from Feb. 10

Austrian flag

Austria is introducing new entry rules from Feb. 10, a deputy leader of Hungary’s operative board responsible for handling the coronavirus epidemic said on Monday.

Under the new rules, anyone wishing to enter Austria must register online in advance, Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss told an online press conference. Those who have entered the country must go into home quarantine for ten days and have the option of getting a free PCR or antigen test for Covid-19 from the fifth day of quarantine, he said.

Those exempted from the new rules include cross-border commuters, seasonal farming and forestry workers, international passenger and cargo transit, and people travelling to Austria for emergency medical treatment, Kiss said.

As told a few days ago, Hungarian foreign minister has had phone talks with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg to discuss the country’s tightened border controls aimed at preventing the import of new coronavirus variants. Details HERE.

Also we wrote a few days ago, travellers from Hungary can enter Serbia without showing a negative coronavirus test or undergoing mandatory quarantine as of Thursday, the Serbian government said.

Meanwhile, freight carriers are having to wait around two hours at Hungary’s Röszke and Tompa crossing stations on the Serbian border, he said. As regards Hungary, Kiss noted that police have started proceedings against 35,554 people for breaching the overnight curfew since its introduction in late November.

Hungary to begin vaccinating under-60s with chronic illnesses

Hungary this week will continue inoculating people in the oldest age group against Covid-19 and will begin the vaccination of people under the age of 60 with chronic illnesses, a government official said on Monday.

So far, 35,299 senior citizens have received their Covid shots at hospitals or at home from their general practitioners, István György, a state secretary of the prime minister’s office, told an online press conference of the operative board coordinating Hungary’s response to the pandemic.

This week, GPs will be using new deliveries of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to inoculate the elderly, while those opting to get vaccinated at hospitals will be receiving the Russian Sputnik V jab, he said.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky Vince
Read alsoCovered-up car crash of Hungarian ex-ambassador to Austria unveiled

Tightened border controls with Austria on the rise

border police control

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has had phone talks with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg to discuss the country’s tightened border controls aimed at preventing the import of new coronavirus variants.

Szijjártó said in a Facebook post that the new border control measures set to enter into force on Feb. 10 would be disadvantageous for Hungarian commuters working in Austria.

The minister said he and Schallenberg had agreed during their call on Thursday to assess the effects of the new rules next week, adding that he would ask his Austrian counterpart to “take these into consideration when it comes to the future of the regulations”.

Szijjártó said there were several matters to be cleared up regarding the handling of coronavirus tests, adding that waiting times also posed problems.

Under Austria’s new border rules, all entrants are required to present negative coronavirus tests no older than three days or be tested within 24 hours of their arrival in the country.

Commuters are required to register themselves once a week and present a test no older than one week.

border police control
Read alsoTightened border controls with Austria on the rise

Frontex hopes to resume operations in Hungary soon, says spokesman

frontex eu

Frontex, the European border agency, hopes it can soon resume border control operations carried out jointly with Hungarian authorities along the Hungarian-Serbian border, the agency’s spokesman told MTI on Thursday.

Chris Borowski confirmed by phone the agency’s announcement on Wednesday on its decision to suspend joint operations along the border until Hungary fully complies with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, released last month in connection with the country’s asylum and immigration law.

Joint operation may resume immediately once the Hungarian authorities comply with the ruling, the spokesman said, adding that the agency’s team of 20 would for the time being be assigned duties at the border area of nearby countries.

Borowski in an earlier statement said that joint efforts of protecting the EU’s external borders could only be effective if they are fully in line with EU laws.

Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, hailed Frontex’s Wednesday announcement on suspending work in Hungary and noted the EU court’s judgement passed on December 17.

In its judgement, the court established that “Hungary has not respected the right, conferred, in principle, by the Procedures Directive” that any applicant for international protection may remain in its territory until a decision is taken on the appeal of an asylum applicant whose application had previously been rejected.

hungarian migration policy
Read alsoOrbán’s security advisor hails Hungary’s migration policy

Breaking – Frontex leaves because Hungarian authorities deport migrants unlawfully

They say that if they remained, they would risk being part of a practice not in line with the law of the European Union. 

According to hvg.hu, Frontex is suspending its activity in Hungary. Chris Borowski, a spokesman of the European Union’s border control body, already confirmed the information of Eurologus, a subsite of hvg.hu writing about EU affairs. He said that the reason behind their decision was that Hungary did not execute the December 17 sentence of the Court of Justice of the European Union and

still deport migrants back to Serbia unlawfully.

According to the December verdict, authorities force all migrants arriving in the country to the Serbian side of the border fence which still belongs to the territory of Hungary. However, there is no infrastructure for them, which means that the Hungarian authorities execute deportation each time. That process contradicts international and European Union law since the migrants do not have any other choice but to leave Hungary. Furthermore, they do not have a legal remedy to stand up against the decision of the authorities.

According to Frontex, the Hungarian authorities did nothing to cease such actions and modify the relevant measures. Therefore, they feel if they remained, they would become part of a process contradicting European Union law. Frontex is the border control body of the European Union, providing help in the issue for all member states. Brussels already declared many times that strengthening it is one of their top priorities. That is why they plan to increase the number of Frontex staff from one to ten thousand.

In Hungary, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee monitors the situation of the people the Hungarian authorities send back. Based on police data, they stated that members of the police and the military forced

approximately 50 thousand people to the Serbian side of the border.

 In December, foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said that some want to manage migration, but Hungary wants to stop it.

Orbán’s security advisor hails Hungary’s migration policy

hungarian migration policy

Hungary’s migration policy and border protection measures have been successful in protecting the country and ensuring the safety of its people, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at the Kelebia border crossing on the Serbian-Hungarian border, György Bakondi noted that the Hungarian authorities apprehended 45,500 illegal migrants at the border last year and launched criminal proceedings against 455 people smugglers, a significant increase from the previous three years.

So far this year, a total of 56 people smugglers have been arrested, Bakondi said, noting that the migration pressure on Hungary seen over the past year was now getting even more intense.

He said that in addition to border protection, Hungary’s migration policy also encompassed providing aid to other countries with the aim of keeping the main migration routes closed, while Hungarian police officers are helping to patrol the North Macedonian border.

Hungary also cooperates with Europol and European border agency Frontex in tracking down people smuggling networks. Hungary shows solidarity towards all countries working to prevent migrant groups from setting off towards Europe, Bakondi said. Hungary has also provided financial and other forms of aid to cities and towns destroyed in the Syrian civil war, he added.

Hungary expects the Portuguese European Union presidency to take notice of the experiences of countries like those forming the Visegrád Group and break with policy positions that support mandatory migrant settlement quotas, open borders and “legalising” illegal entrants, Bakondi said, arguing that these proposals posed serious risks.

Defence ministry state secretary Szilárd Németh said Hungary had spent a total of 561 billion forints (EUR 1.6bn) on its border protection measures since 2015.

He said it was “unacceptable” that the EU had so far “not helped cover even one percent” of those costs.

“We have had to fight against a rule-of-law procedure being launched against Hungary and against our own left wing and the Brussels bureaucrats yelling at us to tear down the border fence and let everyone in,” Németh said. The state secretary argued that Hungary’s border protection measures were also keeping the rest of Europe safe.

migration-fence-Hungary-soldiers
Read alsoOrbán’s adviser: Pandemic, migration and Soros plan threaten Hungary, Europe security

Vaccine passport to be introduced by airlines from March

budapest airport

With this passport, you can fly anywhere without the need to present any of your official vaccine-related documentation. The application will include digital watermarks, however, and in the case that you do not have them, the authorities completing the check-up can ask where you obtained your vaccination documentation from.

As we previously wrote, the whole world, including Hungary, is working on a solution to get back to our normal lives and find a solution that makes travelling possible and somewhat easier during the pandemic. Starting from March, the biggest airlines will start using a digital certificate for the Covid-19 vaccine, called Travel Pass, which could boost the reopening of borders, aviation, and the revival of previously lively traffic among countries, said Alan Murray Hayden, the head of passenger and security products of IATA (International Air Transport Association). According to the news portal Travel Weekly, he said that bringing this unified digital solution forth is big progress.

He reminded everyone that the purpose of this digital vaccine passport is for a passenger to be able to walk from the pavement to a plane without having to physically exchange documents;

in other words, without the need to verify documents, thus enjoying the service of international flights in a safer way.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, IATA has built the Travel Pass on top of their existing solution of contactless verification of passengers, which has been in use for decades by travel agencies and airlines. This more reliable solution, which runs on a smartphone, stores and, when needed, updates the certificate of getting the Covid-19 vaccine, or when and with what result a person was tested for the virus, writes MagyarNemzet.hu. 

Developers have thought about those who would try to trick the system by implementing digital watermarks in the original program. In the absence of these, authorities can ask the question “Who gave you this certificate; did they give it to you and only you; and lastly, has it been tampered with?”

The unified solution is made up of four elements; for instance, it provides information about the health requirements in a given country, for which it offers a list of labs and centres that perform check-ups and tests.

The app is very safe as it enables testing labs to securely send test results and certificates to passengers.

Moreover, the passengers themselves can upload these documents and share them with the airline or with the authorities of the destination country.

“Our priority is for passengers to be able to travel safely,” said IATA, also adding that a certain level of trust needs to be given to governments. The vaccination and testing programmes implemented instead of lockdown requirements serve this purpose. All these are unified with the Travel Pass application.

“We need to react to the demands of the industry while enabling a competitive market.”

Read alsoVaccine passports to bring back Hungarian tourism?

Pfizer ampoules are overfilled, so allowed for the vaccination of six people in Hungary

pfizer-vaccine-hungary-semmelweis

The government has no plans to change the rules or dates related to school-leaving exams scheduled from mid-May to June, a government official said on Tuesday.

The government expects both written and oral exams to take place in the usual manner, with a deadline for applications for school-leaving exams and university admissions of Feb. 15, Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary for public education, said at a press conference of the operative body responsible for handling the coronavirus epidemic.

Last year, some 80,000 students sat their school-leaving exams in the spring and an additional 30,000 in the autumn, Maruzsa said, adding that this showed that the exams could be organised safely, even during a pandemic. No infection hotspots emerged as a result, he added.

Meanwhile, Cecília Müller, the chief medical officer, said Hungary has received vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna sufficient to inoculate 51,000 people.

The Pfizer ampoules have been “significantly overfilled”, and so allow for the vaccination of six people rather than five as originally expected, she said.

Lieutenant Colonel Róbert Kiss, a leader of the operative board, noted that

Serbia expanded travel restrictions at its borders on Tuesday.

Entrants will continue to have to show a negative PCR test result from the previous two days, or self-quarantine for 10 days, he said. The restrictions pertain to all travellers, regardless of citizenship, he added.

All parliamentary parties support the vaccines so vaccine acceptance is growing in Hungary
Read alsoVaccine against coronavirus acceptance growing in Hungary

You can travel to Romania from Hungary without any restrictions

border koronavirus.gov.hu hungary

That is because Romanian authorities no longer regard Hungary as a country of high risk. The National Committee for Emergency Situations published the updated list on Friday.

According to Csaba Borboly’s website, the committee no longer regards Hungary a yellow country. That means that people travelling to Romania from Hungary do not have to go into a 14-day-long quarantine.

The new rule is in effect from Saturday 8 pm.

Meanwhile, Romania still regards Spain, Italy, Germany, and France as countries of high risk, so people arriving from these countries are to be placed in a two-week-long quarantine. HERE you can read the full list.

Furthermore, those who come to Romania, spend there less than three days, and can show a negative test which they did 48 hours before they crossed the border do not have to go into quarantine.

The 14-day-long quarantine may end on the eighth day with a negative COVID-19 test.

Those who caught the virus maximum 90 days before they arrived in Romania are also exempt from going into quarantine.

As we reported before, in Hungary, restrictions will stay in place until February 1, and secondary schools will continue digital education, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday. A decree made commercial P+Rs, parking garages, and parking lots in residential areas free of charge from 7:00 in the evening until 7:00 in the morning. Soldiers are helping the police in carrying out their duties in public areas. Soldiers have also been assigned to help out the staff in 93 hospitals around Hungary.

The curfew is in force between 8 pm and 5 am,

and work carried out beyond the home must be justified. Except for pharmacies and petrol stations, shops can be open until 7 pm. Hairdressers, masseurs, and personal trainers must observe general curfew rules. Family and private events, including birthday celebrations, can be held with a maximum of ten people attending – children do not count in the headcount. A major new rule is that face masks must be worn in public spaces in places with more than 10,000 residents, though it is up to local mayors to decide which spaces the rule applies to.

Restaurants are limited to offering takeaways,

while hotels are not allowed to cater to tourists, only to guests arriving for business, economic, or educational purposes. Sports events must be held behind closed doors. Also, leisure facilities such as fitness gyms, indoor swimming pools, museums, libraries, cinemas, zoos, and skating rinks must suspend their services. Events, including cultural events, cannot be held under the special rules.