Czech police have decided to withdraw their assistance in controlling the Hungarian-Serbian border, citing a significant decrease in illegal migration along the route from the southern Balkans through Serbia to Hungary. David Schön, spokesperson for the Czech National Police Headquarters, announced this decision in Prague on Monday.
MTI reported that the last 40-strong contingent of Czech police, stationed at the southern Hungarian border, returned to the Czech Republic by the end of the first week of March. Schön explained, “After evaluating the current overall migration risk and in coordination with the Hungarian authorities, we have suspended the deployment of additional Czech police units to Hungary.” He acknowledged the combined efforts of Serbian security forces and measures implemented on the Hungarian side for the improved situation.
“Nevertheless, police experts continue to monitor and evaluate all new data and events. Should the need arise, assistance to Czech police officers in Hungary will be resumed. The Czech Republic is ready to respond immediately to any request from Hungary or any other state,” Schön affirmed.
Last year, approximately 240 Czech police officers took turns patrolling Hungary’s southern border. The most recent 40-member contingent was on duty from mid-January until early March.
As we wrote a few days earlier, the government tightened the sanctions regarding the employment of foreign workers from third countries. Details here.
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.
The minimum fine has been raised fivefold to HUF 150,000 (EUR 379), with fines scaled according to business size. Larger enterprises face heftier penalties, with the maximum fine reaching HUF 25 million (EUR 63,152) for businesses employing at least 250 individuals.
Future amendments in Hungary
The government has accepted another initiative of the National Federation of Workers Councils. In the case of employment of third-country nationals, the employer must seek the opinion of the works council before employing them, provided foreign employees constitute at least 5% of the workforce or a minimum of 10 individuals. This proposed amendment is slated for inclusion in the Labour Code.
PrtScr/ATVnews
Additionally, the union is contemplating a proposal to prohibit employers from hiring foreign workers if their average earnings are 20% below industry standards over the preceding six months, or if earnings for specific positions are 20% lower than the Central Statistical Office’s published tariffs for comparable occupations
The initiative aims to facilitate business and travel for citizens of developing nations within the European Union. While obtaining one can be costly, it significantly streamlines life for the affluent. Hungary ceased its involvement in 2017 amid heightened tensions during the illegal migration crisis. However, the scheme has been reinstated, now even offering the possibility of acquiring EU citizenship through substantial investment in Hungary.
In 2015, Hungary faced a significant illegal migration crisis. Tens of thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East breached the southern borders, making their way towards Budapest and Western Europe via trains. Despite their financial means, the disorganised nature of these migrant groups roaming Hungarian roads sparked panic and fear among the local population.
The Orbán administration adeptly capitalised on the situation, attributing the influx to the so-called Soros Empire and alleging complicity from Western European nations like Merkel’s Germany, which allegedly encouraged Africans and Middle Easterners to come to Europe for a better life.
In response, Orbán’s government closed the southern borders, resulting in violent clashes between illegal migrants and Hungarian law enforcement in September 2015. Subsequent anti-Soros and anti-migration campaigns successfully painted opposition parties and pro-migration entities in a negative light.
Outrage and visa purchase halt
However, a dilemma occurred. Hungary started issuing so-called golden visas for wealthy third-world nationals. While it offered residency permits and, eventually, citizenship to those willing to invest substantially in Hungary, opposition parties decried the scheme as discriminatory, favouring the affluent over the economically disadvantaged migrants. Furthermore, since the Hungarian authorities were unable to thoroughly examine each applicant, they might allow terrorists and gangsters to enter Hungary and the EU.
Following the outrage, the Orbán government halted the sale of golden visas on 31st March 2017. Nevertheless, the programme resumed in January 2024 without significant opposition.
According to Henley & Partners, the Portuguese golden visa ranks as the world’s most sought-after, followed by Austria and Greece. The time taken for citizenship processing, associated costs and the reputation garnered by visa holders were key factors evaluated by Henley & Partners.
How does the golden visa programme work?
The original Hungarian programme, launched by Antal Rogán, Minister of Orbán’s Cabinet Office, commenced in 2013. Remarkably, only 20 out of 20,000 applicants were denied visas, as reported by index.hu
Currently, prospective applicants to the Hungarian Golden Visa programme must meet at least one of the following criteria:
1. Invest EUR 250,000;
2. Purchase property in Hungary valued at a minimum of EUR 500,000, which cannot be sold for five years;
3. Allocate at least EUR 1 million to support educational, scientific, research or artistic projects in Hungary, with the condition that the contribution is directed towards a Hungarian foundation or university.
While the programme remains open to all citizens, the European Parliament advocates for standardised regulations to mitigate potential corruption and money laundering, including proposals to restrict participation for Russian nationals and introduce EU-wide taxation.
The Hungarian golden visa scheme resumed in January.
Read also:
Attention! Hungary issues golden visa for non-EU citizens – Read more HERE
New era for investors: Golden Visa Law enters into force in Hungary – Details in THISarticle
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday in Budapest that Hungary will stick to its “policy of peace” and welcomes Slovakia’s similar stance after meeting Peter Pellegrini, the head of the Slovak National Assembly.
Orbán said Hungary was “watching with concern as hundreds of thousands die or become widows or orphans” in the war in Ukraine.
Orbán said peace was the most pressing issue currently, “but Europe is speaking the language of war.”
Hungary and Slovakia, meanwhile, are speaking the language of peace, he said. Orbán vowed Hungary would stand by its policy and said he hoped to be able to work for peace with Slovakia.
“Good neighbourly relations are all the more valuable in times of danger,” Orbán said.
Orbán and Pellegrini discussed matters pertaining to sovereignty, such as the European Union debate on “taking away member states’ right to veto certain issues, including foreign policy, and the ragulation that decisions must be voted for unanimously,” he said.
On that matter, Hungary and Slovakia are pro-sovereignty, he said.
Orbán thanked Slovakia for its help in protecting the Hungarian-Serbian border, noting that the country had sent policemen to perform their tasks there during Pellegrini’s premiership.
“We got help in protecting our southern borders, which is why we don’t have tens or hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants roaming central Europe today,”
He added that Slovakia and Hungary also fought together against the EU’s mandatory resettlement quotas.
He added that Hungary and Slovakia both value “energy freedom” and cooperate in energy policy, including nuclear energy.
He welcomed that 18 new border crossings have been opened between the two countries since 2018.
He praised Pellegrini as a prime minister under whose tenure Hungary and Slovakia’s friendship had deepened, “and we found common ground on which to build good neighbourly relations.”
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met his Slovak counterpart, Peter Pellegrini, on Monday, to discuss the challenges brought on by illegal migration and the future of the European Union.
Kövér said in a press release that Slovakia and Hungary had similar views on the EU’s enlargement, migration and the future of the bloc, he said.
He slammed the EU’s treatment of south-eastern European candidates as “morally indefensible and unfair”, and called for the process to be sped up.
Hungary and Slovakia’s interests in “reforming the organisational and treaty system of the EU” are also similar, Kövér said. “We insist that the EU remains an alliance of strong member states.”
The two countries will also oppose all “encroaching attempts” to strip member states of competencies, Kövér said, citing mandatory resettlement quotas or scrapping unanimous decision-making as examples.
He called for further talks on cooperation “after the European parliamentary elections”. Slovakia is Hungary’s third largest trading partner, and the economic cooperation creates further fields of interest, he added.
Pellegrini praised the talks with Kövér as “open and informal”, adding that both countries were protecting their sections of the Schengen borders against illegal migration. He thanked Hungary for its part in protecting Slovak airspace, and noted that Slovak policemen were working on the border between Hungary and Serbia.
Slovak House Speaker Pellegrini holds talks in Budapest. Photo: MTI
Hungary and Slovakia are also on common ground in their opposition to the EU’s mandatory resettlement quotas for migrants, he said.
They have similar stances on the war in Ukraine, he added. Slovakia will not send soldiers to Ukraine “under any circumstances”, he said.
He said Slovakia also has a vested interest in continuing cooperation with the Visegrad countries: Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Together, the four countries account for 10 percent of the EU’s population and, therefore, have a significant weight in Brussels.
Pellegrini: Hungary and Slovakia in agreement on major issues
The governments of Slovakia and Hungary see eye to eye on important issues, Peter Pellegrini, head of the Slovak National Council, said after talks in Budapest on Monday.
Hungary and Slovakia are “not only connected through a joint position and a shared history, we are prepared to take further, active steps to develop our cooperation,” he said.
Pellegrini noted that he and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had inaugurated another new bridge serving as a further border crossing point between the two countries. As we wrote today, the newest Hungarian-Slovak border bridge was inaugurated for the second time. Details HERE.
He also said that the prime ministers of Slovakia and Hungary were preparing a new memorandum of understanding.
Concerning energy, Pellegrini said the two countries had linked their gas networks and built new electric links, too, in recent years. He also called for further, intensive cooperation in the area of nuclear energy. He welcomed that the two countries had managed to convince the Council of Europe to include nuclear energy in its list of safe energies.
He said Slovakia continued to assist Hungary in protecting its borders, adding that his government had sent “a sharp message to human smugglers” as one of its first measures:
“Slovakia will not be a transit country”.
“As a small country, Slovakia will never consent to remove the veto right of EU members,” Pellegrini said and welcomed that Hungary supported that position.
The Slovak government has decided not to send troops to Ukraine “despite being criticised for that sovereign and independent position bloodshed cannot be avoided unless we muster up the courage needed for peace talks,” he said.
Pellegrini said Hungary is a major business partner of Slovakia. He welcomed the increase in bilateral trade turnover and the support of both countries for their ethnic minorities.
Hungary rejects all attempts in the European Union to ban the punishment of organisations aiding illegal migration “citing humanitarian reasons”, the justice minister said in Brussels on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of EU justice ministers, Bence Tuzson said organisations aiding illegal migration were engaging in “people smuggling”.
Tuzson noted that in 2018, Hungary adopted the “Stop Soros” package of laws that included legislation which criminalises sharing information with illegal migrants. “Hungary doesn’t want to change this,” he added.
“We will not adopt the proposal banning liability, because we don’t want organisations aiding illegal migration to be able to continue their activities without repercussions,” he said.
The minister cited an EU regulation allowing member states the decision not to punish organisations providing humanitarian assistance. But for the first time in the bloc’s history, there is a proposal that would mandate member states to scrap the measures in their criminal law that concerned “civil groups that organise and aid illegal migration“, he added.
Detailing the proposal, Tuzson said it called for limiting criminal liability to those who can be proven to be aiding illegal migration in exchange for money. He said that under the proposal, those who aid migrants in exchange for “proportionate financial compensation” could not be punished, either, adding that the proposal failed to clarify what “proportionate financial compensation” meant.
Tuzson said that though certain member states had expressed “shock” at the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting, Hungary was the country that recommended rejecting the package in its entirety, sticking consistently to its earlier position.
He said this plan had been “another in a series of plans that the European Commission rushed before member states without consultation or an impact study”.
As we wrote earlier, In 2023, over two thousand foreign traffickers were set free from Hungarian prisons, details HERE
In recent years, Hungary has experienced a surge in the arrival of foreign guest workers, primarily from Asia, which caused widespread moral unease. This influx of foreign workers has sparked protests and outrage, drawing disapproval from Hungarian labourers.
Several incidents demonstrate the outrage of the Hungarian people, such as protests in Nagymaros against a Korean company’s plan to accommodate Asian workers, outbursts over Hungarian workers allegedly being replaced by Vietnamese workers at the Bumchun factory (later proven false) and false rumours circulating about Indian owners of Dunaferr in Dunaújváros replacing Hungarian workers. Furthermore, Arriva’s (Operator of Budapest Transport Centre) recruitment of Filipino drivers also sparked political controversy, as reported by Telex.
The Orbán Government, previously known for its poster campaigns promoting hostility towards foreign workers, initially drafted legislation to regulate the situation of guest workers but later withdrew it. Shortly afterwards, they introduced a new regulation to tighten controls on the importation of guest workers. Despite their anti-immigrant rhetoric, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that:
The country could need up to 500,000 workers.
Guest workers statistics
The latest data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) reveals that in November 2023, there were 98,500 foreign nationals employed in Hungary, with over 76,000 being from outside the EU. This marks a 13% increase in foreign workers over the past year largely due to the arrival of nearly 14,000 more third-country workers since November 2022. While guest workers were previously predominantly from neighbouring countries like Serbia and Ukraine, their numbers have declined especially since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022.
Since then, Asian workers, particularly from Vietnam and the Philippines, have been increasingly replacing the Serbian and Ukrainian guest workers. However, despite this uptick, the proportion of guest workers in Hungary remains lower compared to Western Europe, with roughly 9% of workers in that region being guest workers, as opposed to less than 2% in Hungary.
The government has facilitated the import of Asian guest workers through the Immigration Act, making it easier for Vietnamese, Indonesian, Mongolian and Filipino workers to enter Hungary. Guest workers receive a two-year residence and work permit, renewable for up to one year.Upon expiration, they may return to their home or relocate, as their EU residence permit remains valid for a longer duration. This legislation also introduced qualified temporary employment agencies, initially designating 13 companies for this purpose, which was later increased to 28.
However, recent amendments to the Immigration Act have imposed limitations by setting a yearly maximum of 65,000 non-EU workers allowed into Hungary, corresponding to available job vacancies. Moreover, companies can only hire guest workers after notifying local labour centres of their labour needs and receiving certification of insufficient Hungarian candidates. These measures are expected to somewhat mitigate the influx of workers.
Reasons behind companies’ choice of guest workers
Despite temporary employment and recruitment agencies emphasising the significantly higher costs associated with employing guest workers (approximately HUF 1 Million (EUR 2,500) in one-off fees for a Filipino worker, lower costs for Vietnamese and Indians) compared to hiring Hungarian workers, employers still find themselves compelled to opt for them. Hungary boasts a high employment rate of 74.8% and a low unemployment rate of 4.2%, indicating a perceived lack of usable labor reserves.
Many unemployed individuals face challenges such as lack of skills, geographic constraints or health issues, rendering them less employable. When foreign companies seek to establish operations in Hungary, they often require a large workforce that is difficult to fulfil locally. Therefore, despite potential improvements in employing local unemployed individuals, foreign companies often opt for guest workers due to their perceived higher productivity compared to domestic workers (despite the slightly higher costs involved). According to employment agencies:
Guest workers cost employers 10-20% more, but they outperform domestic workers by 20-30% in productivity.
Some argue that Hungarian/European workers perceive work as a necessary evil and may not put in their best effort. In contrast, others suggest that different life situations may be the cause. Guest workers’ lack of family and responsibilities and short-term outlook may motivate them to maximise earnings through overtime and dedication to work. Similar trends are observed with Hungarian workers who temporarily migrate to Western countries, where their productivity often increases.
Read also:
Hungarian CEOs’ surprising experiences with foreign worker – HERE
Non-EU citizens can apply for Hungarian Card, 65 thousand guest workers may come – HERE
The government’s online advertisements targeted at foreign markets aim to draw attention to the massive migration pressures at Hungary’s southern borders, the Government Information Centre said on Thursday.
“The migrants storming our borders are not unfortunate people but terrorists … who have been violently attacking our border guards,” the centre said in a statement. “Everyone in Europe needs to know this.”
Last year 173,000 migrants tried to enter Hungary, and there have been more and more armed attacks against border guards, it said, adding that the ads contained video evidence of some of the attacks.
Decision-makers in Brussels need to be reminded that Hungary has received no financial help whatsoever for protecting the EU’s external border, the statement said, adding that the EU migration package currently being finalised would only worsen the situation by introducing the mandatory distribution of migrants while overriding the strict migration procedures enforced in Hungary, it added.
In view of “drastic changes” in Hungary’s security environment in recent years, the prime minister’s cabinet office has proposed setting up a new body headed by a chief national security advisor, Csaba Dömötör, state secretary at the cabinet office, said in parliament in his introduction to the bill on Tuesday.
Dömötör said the new and powerful body would help the prime minister with “promoting the government’s endeavours for peace and security in all circumstances”. The prime minister’s chief national security advisor will have a “similar legal status to that of the prime minister’s political director”, Dömötör said.
The chief advisor will help the prime minister “with questions concerning national security, with special regard to the civilian national security and intelligence activities, law enforcement, crime prevention, and maintaining public order in general,” the state secretary said. The new official will make proposals and participate in the decision-making process, he added.
Fidesz MP Csaba Nagy expressed his party’s support for the bill, and called for a higher level of coordination of national security aspects. Referring to the war in Ukraine, he said the Hungarian government must use every avaliable facility to ensure the security of the country and its people.
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Former Fidesz ally: PM’s wife holds secret power, Orbán family operates Hungary as a corporation – Read more HERE
Hungarian Parliament votes in favour, Sweden to join NATO – Details in THISarticle
Although Hungary has made progress in the implementation of the CoE’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, the country’s authorities should make further efforts to improve assistance to victims of human trafficking, the Council of Europe’s GRETA group of experts said in a report released on Monday.
Authors of the report noted that the number of identified human trafficking victims in Hungary was 754 from 2019 to 2022 which marks a significant increase compared to the previous period covered by GRETA. According to the report, most identified victims were women and minors with sexual exploitation remaining the main form of exploitation.
The report welcomed the adoption of a new national anti-trafficking strategy, as well as guidelines issued by the chief prosecutor’s office to facilitate the detection and prosecution of human trafficking cases. It also welcomed law amendments ensuring human trafficking victims free legal aid in criminal, civil and administrative proceedings. The report however noted that in practice victims have limited access to free legal aid and called on Hungarian authorities to remedy the situation.
In its report, GRETA expressed concern that only a few trafficking victims have received compensation from the perpetrators or the state and urges authorities “to systematically inform victims of their right to claim compensation, to make full use of the existing legislation on the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets”.
The report welcomed the law amendment which precludes punishment of minors for providing sexual services, it however urged the Hungarian authorities to adopt a specific legal provision and guidance on the non-punishment of victims of trafficking.
The failures of the Hungarian state, tightly controlled by the government, extend beyond child protection to areas such as assistance for Ukrainian refugees, healthcare and education. At a recent mass demonstration in Hungary, a prevailing sentiment was the belief that the state has failed its citizens.
Childcare
Edina Pottyondy, a prominent YouTuber and organiser of the event, voiced concerns about the failure to address child abuse and protect children. She cited the scandal involving Katalin Novák, the former head of state, Judit Varga, the former Minister of Justice and Zoltán Balog, former bishop of the Reformed Church and their handling of pardons. Zsolt Osváth, another YouTuber and organiser of the protest, highlighted that children in institutions receive only HUF 72,000 (EUR 186) annually for clothing and bedding. The organisers (including Márton Gulyás, activist, and YouTuber) revealed the establishment of a fund in collaboration with the Street to Home Association to assist an abused boy who had become homeless upon leaving state care. According to RTL, their goal was to raise HUF 25 million (EUR 64,613) by Sunday for his housing and support, which they surpassed, collecting a total amount of HUF 204 million (EUR 527,242). The conclusion of this whole situation is that:
Civil society stepped in where the government and state failed to address the issue at hand, highlighting a significant gap in responsibility.
Welcoming of refugees
Two years ago, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the government’s delayed response left refugees in limbo. By the time the BOK hall was designated to shelter them, the influx had subsided. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to refugees in Debrecen, where he famously told a Ukrainian woman “I am glad to see you,” highlighted the government’s disarray in handling the crisis. In contrast, civilians in the Keleti Railway Station stepped up, organising aid seamlessly and efficiently. This scenario was similar to the response during the unprecedented refugee wave in 2015, where private individuals and NGOs mobilised to provide care, reception and information to refugees.
A failing healthcare
The healthcare sector is another domain where the state consistently fails to fulfill its obligations. Recent reform attempts have been insufficient; for instance, in December alone, patients had to endure waiting times of 387 days for hip replacement surgery in Tolna County, 448 days for corneal surgery nationwide, and a staggering 726 days for knee replacement surgery in Szombathely (Vas County). Recently, Péter Álmos, President of the Hungarian Medical Chamber, highlighted Hungary’s ongoing transition in public healthcare. Proposed alterations in smaller hospitals could result in limited availability of acute care, potentially posing challenges for timely and suitable treatment, particularly in areas with varying geographical conditions. He also expressed concerns about the healthcare system’s future and encourages individuals to consider “self-care,” meaning that besides contributing to social security, having private insurance could prove beneficial in the future.
Educational system
In the educational system, public failures are evident, indicating an alarming trend. Parents navigating school choices for their children must inquire about essential aspects of prospective institutions, including the availability of teachers for crucial subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics. Moreover, questions regarding contributions to class funds for basic necessities like toilet paper and classroom renovations are necessary. Recent concerns extend to inquiries about funding for classroom air-conditioning to ensure a conducive learning environment. These responsibilities should fall under the jurisdiction of the government, as mandated in the Fundamental Law, which guarantees primary and secondary education for free. However, consistent administrative shortcomings highlight the state’s inability to fulfil its educational duties effectively.
Read also:
Torchlight protesters march in Budapest to the Parliament – HERE
Hungary to take action against foreigners working in the country illegally – HERE
Immigration, in its myriad forms, often takes a backseat amidst the glare of illegal migration, propelled by political agendas. However, the complexity of immigration is often oversimplified, both by the public and politicians. A deep dive into the factual data on foreign immigration, as provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Eurostat, offers a nuanced understanding of the true numbers underpinning this multifaceted issue.
Legal migration receives scant media coverage in contemporary discourse, given its complexity and lack of sensationalism compared to illegal migration, making it less conducive to campaigning or publicising. However, the European Union aims to ease legal constraints on migration for two primary reasons. Firstly, there is a growing need for labour that countries struggle to meet, prompting them to recruit immigrants. Secondly, European societies are experiencing rapid ageing alongside declining birth rates, compelling measures to address shifting demographics, as reported by Portfolio.
Navigating regulations
Under EU law, immigrants are defined as third-country nationals relocating to an EU Member State not due to persecution but possessing permits for entry and residence. Member States retain the authority to influence this regulation independently, determining quotas for third-country nationals admitted for employment, education or family reunification purposes. It’s crucial to distinguish this right from the right to asylum; while the latter is deemed a fundamental human right, the former remains the subjective choice of Member States. Notably, EU law supersedes national legislation, regulating both internal EU movement and immigration from non-EU countries. Additionally, origin holds significance; third-country nationals fall under immigration policies, while EU Member State citizens are subject to provisions concerning the free movement of persons. Upholding the principle of free movement of workers, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union explicitly prohibits discrimination based on nationality among workers from Member States regarding employment, wages and other work-related conditions. Moreover, there’s the EU Blue Card, implemented over fifteen years ago, offering non-EU citizens an opportunity to reside and work within the EU with their families. To qualify, applicants must undergo a rigorous assessment and hold a degree or possess professional experience equivalent to higher education, along with a job offer meeting specified minimum salary thresholds. In Hungary, regulations stipulate that third-country nationals must obtain visas unless they are nationals of countries eligible for visa waivers. Visas or visa-free entry allow a maximum stay of 90 days, beyond which individuals require permits. Regarding the admission of guest workers to Hungary, the official stance is that only vacancies will determine the number admitted.
Immigration in figures
In 2022, the European Union reported a total of 37.7 million registered immigrants, encompassing both internal EU movement and arrivals from third countries, constituting 8.5% of the EU’s overall population. Specific to Hungary, data from 2021 reveals that 333,000 foreigners aged between 15 and 50 possessed residence permits, including 223,000 individuals from neighbouring countries, with the majority (169,000) holding Hungarian citizenship. The spatial distribution of foreign nationals of working age is notably concentrated, with nearly half residing in Budapest (47,000), followed by Pest and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties (8,000 each), while the remaining counties average around 2,000 immigrants per county. Békés, Tolna and Nógrád counties recorded the lowest numbers, with none surpassing 800 immigrants.
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Szijjártó: Multinational automaker to bring giga investment to Hungary – Read HERE
Hungarian government introduces new law for companies with foreign workers – Read HERE
The EU’s proposed New Pact on Migration and Asylum which was supported by the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) would “leave Europe wide open to illegal migration,” an MEP of ruling Fidesz told Hungarian journalists after the committee’s meeting on Wednesday.
“By approving the draft, LIBE has given its consent to the implementation of the Soros plan,” Balázs Hidvéghi said, noting the plan’s provisions enforcing illegal migrant distribution quotas and fining member states that refuse to accept the scheme.
He said the new pact would allow illegal migrants to enter EU territory under provisions which ban processing asylum applications outside the bloc. “This will make the control and expulsion of illegal immigrants impossible,” the MEP added, insisting that this would lead to the emergence of migrant ghettos which he called “unacceptable”.
Hidvéghi said that “the only system that works effectively in stopping illegal migration is that of Hungary”.
Hungary protects its, and the EU’s, territory against an inflow of illegal migrants with a fence erected on the border and laws and will maintain the related decisions taken several years ago.
“The new EU pact and its approval is an attack against the well-working Hungarian system,” he said, adding that “we will continue to protect Hungary from illegal migration and will not allow that it should become an immigrant country,” said the MEP.
The European Union should pursue radically different policies on migration and Africa in order to prevent the emergence of more serious crises, the Hungarian foreign minister said in Brussel on Saturday.
The ministry cited Péter Szijjártó telling a press conference after an informal meeting of the EU foreign affairs council that the security of the continent started “in Africa which undoubtedly faces some very serious challenges”.
If Brussels maintains its current migration policy, the African continent’s problems will affect Europe, which would be “hardly able to handle them”, he said.
Africa’s population has increased by 590 million in the past 20 years and is estimated to grow by an additional 750 million in the upcoming 20 years, which in itself is more than the population of Europe in total, Szijjártó said.
“The question is whether the African population growing by a significant extent, by many million people, stays in Africa or they set off towards Europe,” Szijjártó said. “The answer depends on whether Africa will be a secure place in terms of physical and economic characteristics,” he added.
“Radically different European migration and Africa policies are needed, security must be created on the continent with the help of economic development, and help must be provided to fight the increasing threat of terror,” Szijjártó said.
Read also:
New US travel sanctions against Hungary? – Read more HERE
Austrian village makes it impossiblefor Hungarian commuters to pass the border
Hungary has taken its share in preventing further waves of migrants to take off towards Europe, he added.
Hungary supports Christian communities to stay in their home
“Over five years, we have provided some 100 billion forints (EUR 260m) worth of development resources to African countries to help them modernise their water management systems and ensure that people have clean and healthy drinking water, and are able to develop health-care services, education and public administration,” he said.
Additionally, the government provided some 6.5 billion forints to support Christian communities to stay in their home, and offered 1,460 young Africans scholarships annually to study in Hungarian universities, Szijjártó added.
Terrorism especially affects the Sahel, and the government therefore works together with the countries of the region ready for cooperation in order to reduce the threat of terror and consequently the pressure of migration, he added.
Hungary supports probe into UN agency employees’ alleged involvement in Hamas action
Hungary supports an investigation over the alleged involvement of some employees of the UN’s agency aiding Palestinians in Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel last October, the foreign minister said in Brussels on Saturday.
Szijjártó told a press conference after an informal meeting of the EU’s foreign affairs council that “a heated debate” had developed over the question whether funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) should be suspended or delayed over the issue.
“I think that our common goal must be to prevent a humanitarian disaster. And our common goal must also be to prevent that innocent people should suffer, and to ensure that food, water and medicine supplies reach the civilian population,” said the foreign minister.
“It is however absolutely unacceptable, in fact intolerable, if employees of a UN organisation take part in any action or the operation of a terrorist organisation in any form,” he added.
Szijjártó said that given the gravity of the claim, a probe must be launched “instead of jumping at the EU commissioner over initiating an investigation”.
New proposals make failed sanctions policy ‘even more unserious’
As the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war is approaching, there are increasing efforts in the European Union to approve a new package of sanctions against Russia but “these would only make the already failed sanctions policy even more unserious”, the Hungarian foreign minister said on Saturday.
The ministry cited Szijjártó as saying after an informal meeting of the EU foreign affairs council in Brussels that these efforts constituted “window dressing”. “It is easy to see that with one package of sanctions approved, now everyone must make serious efforts to find organisations, industries and persons that are not yet on the sanctions list or their families are not yet included in that list,” he said.
He said it was high time for everyone to admit that the sanctions policy had failed and “the European Union should not be made to appear even more unserious”.
“No matter what methods are used to attack the National Consultation survey and the government’s position, the government maintains that it does not want war, immigration or gender propaganda in schools,” the Government Information Centre (KTK) said on Friday in reaction to complaints filed against the public survey.
“The left-wing politicians and activists who have filed complaints against the National Consultation are the same ones who, with their funding from abroad, have made it clear dozens of times that they are not looking out for Hungary’s interests,” the office said in a statement.
They said the “foreign-funded left” supported weapons deliveries and the European Union’s migration pact, and wanted to scrap Hungary’s child protection law.
“We stand by the position that only the Hungarian people can decide on their own future,” KTK said, adding that this was supported by the results of the government’s survey.
Read also:
Hungarian Catholic Church goes againstPope Francis concerning blessing same-sex couples
Sziget Festival in trouble: government office investigation over LGBTQ video – Read more HERE
Hungarian MEP Márton Gyöngyösi (Non-Attached Member of the European Parliament) shares his views on migration in a video.
“There is a growing consensus in the European Union that the community followed a wrong policy until the 2010s by promoting immigration and tolerating illegal migration.
By now, more and more people have realized, even among those who supported the policy back then, that it was a bad idea. Europe does not need unintegrable immigrants or illegal migrants who violate our laws by staying in our continent.
Europe needs a plannable future and reliable jobs. We must protect European families; we must protect the European way of life.
Unfortunately, there are others, such as the Fidesz government in Hungary, who only talk about controlling migration but in fact have already released thousands of convicted human traffickers from the prisons and want to bring half a million Asian guest workers of unknown backgrounds to Hungary.
As a Member of the European Parliament, my position has always been the same: you have to take the toughest measures against human traffickers; illegal migrants must be deported, and everybody in need must be given assistance in their own countries. Jobs must be secured for young Hungarian workers. I will never support illegal migration; I can promise you that.”
read also: MEP Gyöngyösi calls on the EU to make steps towards defence union – VIDEO
Disclaimer: the sole liability for the opinions stated rests with the author(s). These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Parliament.
The central focus of the way Brussels continues to handle migration is managing instead of stopping it by protecting the external borders, Bence Rétvári, state secretary at the interior ministry, told Hungarian journalists in Brussels on Thursday.
Speaking after an EU meeting of interior ministers, Rétvári said “Brussels is still forcing through what has not worked so far”.
According to Rétvári, the EU “is working to cement” details of the EU’s Migration Pact adopted in December by passing nine regulations, including a rule on distributing illegal migrants across member states according to mandatory quotas. States that refuse to accommodate migrants would be fined, he added. Under another rule, 28.3 percent of all the asylum applications should be dealt with in Hungary, which would lead to the emergence of “migrant ghettos” at the Hungarian border, he said.
“It has been confirmed in Brussels that … they want to drive further into the one-way street the EU entered in 2015,” he said. “The EU is on the wrong path; they should instead be protecting the external borders and the European continent,” Rétvári said.
Rétvári said 99.3 percent of respondents to the latest government National Consultation public survey supported the statement that “Hungary should be protected from the emergence of migrant ghettos… So it’s important that we keep opposing plans that have only led to failure so far,” he added.
“It’s obvious that Brussels insists on its own ill-advised decisions … and it is not only like that in connection with migration but with the war in Ukraine, too,” he said, adding that “the policy of sanctions has failed and the whole of Europe is suffering from those sanctions… Still, they talk about success and achievements in Brussels,” Rétvári said.
Concerning the upcoming European parliamentary elections, Rétvári said a “new leadership” could bring about “a return to common sense … by stopping migration and achieving a ceasefire.”
Brussels has no intention of protecting Europe’s borders against illegal migrants, the EU affairs state secretary said on Wednesday, calling a recent remark by the head of European border agency Frontex “disappointing”.
Barna Pál Zsigmond called it “absurd” that the head of Frontex, the agency in charge of shielding Europe against mass migration, stated in a recent interview in German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag that “nothing can stop people from crossing a border, no wall, no fence, no sea, no river”.
“It is rather saddening that the Frontex chief considers the agency he leads overall unfit to fulfil its duty of protecting Europe’s borders,” the state secretary said on Facebook.
He said if Brussels should finally stop insisting on its pro-immigration policy, “illegal migrants would not be able to cross the borders either through the wall or fence, or on sea or river.”
Read also:
Foreigners replace Hungarian workforce in Hungary – Read more HERE
Illegal migration: police launch special checks at train stations, on trains, deploy dogs – Details in THISarticle
Brussels’ current leaders and the left wing are committed to executing the Soros plan
Zsigmond said “Brussels’ current leaders and the left wing are committed to executing the Soros plan”, adding that it became clear from their recent statements that Hungary’s immigration policy was one of the main reasons of “the political attacks” against the country.
“Hungary has a consistent immigration policy which works, Hungary has not let itself be turned into an immigrant country,” he said.
“We have built a fence, we keep protecting our borders … and we reject the EU’s policy promoting migration,” the state secretary said, adding that the Hungarian government would continue to insist on its sovereignty and the protection of its borders.
Migration problem, not solution
Mass immigration “is the problem rather than the solution”, the state secretary for international communication and relations said on Wednesday, responding to an opinion piece in the Financial Times.
In an English-language post published on abouthungary.hu, Zoltán Kovács said that Gideon Rachman’s piece, In praise of mass immigration, argued that “even without mass immigration, there would be no ‘social peace’; and the lack of immigration would come with immense social and economic costs.”
“Nobody has ever said that without immigration our societies would live in perfect harmony and peace. However, it’s important to distinguish between the types of social conflicts that we Europeans, hailing overwhelmingly from Jewish and Christian traditions, have grown used to managing in the last millennium and the current challenges posed by mass immigration,” Kovács said, adding that the rise of conservative parties in countries hit by immigration was a sign of people sharing the same views throughout Europe.
We are able to fill in workforce gaps
“Secondly, remedying the economic drawbacks of refusing mass immigration is not all black and white … Take Hungary’s new guest worker regulation, for example: We are able to fill in workforce gaps without sacrificing the foundations of our society and culture along the way,” he said, adding that Hungary’s economic success was based on utilising the potential of the Hungarian labour market.
“The liberal idea of welcoming masses of immigrants from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, who will then seamlessly integrate into our societies, remains a fairy tale. You may not see it from the other side of the Channel, but it’s simply not working,” Kovács said.
From 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning, police will launch an increased check as part of the “Active Shield Rail Action Day” coordinated by RAILPOL (European Association of Railway Police), which will last for 24 hours, until 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Hungarian police said in the statement, that the European Union (EU) is placing particular emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the security of rail transport and freight transport. The action, coordinated by RAILPOL, is aimed primarily at taking effective action against illegal migration and related illegal activities. The police place particular emphasis on the prevention of rail-related offences and offences against passengers.
During the 24-hour operation, uniformed officers, including service dogs, will check domestic and international passenger trains, passengers’ luggage and luggage lockers at stations.
As we wrote before, motorists, as is customary, encounter various European traffic checks annually lasting a week – these are the upcoming 2024 ROADPOL actions, details HERE.
Also, we wrote earlier, controversial decision was made, over 2000 foreign traffickers were released from Hungarian prisons in 2023, details HERE.
