Tens of thousands of guest workers cannot enter Hungary: large investments in trouble
Guest workers are crucial for a functioning Hungarian economy. Even the Hungarian government acknowledged that without Vietnamese, Philippine or Indonesian workers, the Hungarian economy would not be able to grow. Therefore, the Orbán cabinet plans to invite hundreds of thousands of guest workers, but paperwork was halted in January due to legislative deficiencies. As a result, large investments can be delayed in Hungary.
Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians seek employment abroad, lured by higher wages and superior working conditions in countries like Austria, Germany, and Great Britain. Despite government initiatives like “Come Home, youth!” enticing their return, many remain abroad indefinitely.
The underlying issue is structural, as Hungarian economic pundits often highlight. The Orbán cabinet’s strategy to attract low-value-added investments fails to entice most Hungarians working abroad. Consequently, Hungary relies heavily on foreign workers to fill crucial gaps in its labour force, with a significant portion hailing from non-EU countries, primarily Southeast Asia.
We wrote about that scheme in THIS article. In short, 25 Hungarian companies are “licensed” to acquire the needed documents for the guest workers. Válasz Online suggested last September that some of them are government-close, and the business generates a solid and calculable profit.
However, there is a problem now. A recent report by 444.hu underscores the bureaucratic logjam plaguing the processing of residency applications. From 1 January to 29 February, no new applications for interim, national,or EU residence cards could be submitted, disrupting the influx of guest workers. This hiatus also affected the evaluation of previously filed appeals, with exceptions made only for professional athletes.
The repercussions are profound, with 23,602 prospective guest workers stranded. The number of non-EU citizens working in Hungary is around 120 thousand, so 23 thousand is a considerable number. The largest group of foreign non-EU citizens working in Hungary are Ukrainians (approx. 40 thousand), Serbians and Vietnamese (16 thousand) and Philipines (10 thousand), portfolio.hu wrote.
Alternative solutions for guest workers
The Hungarian economy and the companies badly need the foreign workforce. Therefore, they tend to explore alternative solutions. According to telex.hu, some firms request a “C”-type business visa. That is regularly issued for foreigners travelling to Hungary for business negotiations or short-term missions, not for a Philippine guest worker to build walls and roofs on a construction site.
Another alternative is to do the paperwork in another EU country and transfer the worker to Hungary.
According to 444.hu, it is uncertain what will happen after 1 March. Guest workers will be able to submit the relevant papers after that date. However, the different ministries have conflicting interests, so the legal framework may not be ready by then.
That is because the interior, foreign and economic ministries do not agree on which nationalities should come to Hungary.
Consequently, multiple companies miss out on important deals. As a result, autumn plant inaugurations can be delayed since there is no workforce to build them.
The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing told 444.hu that they aim to decide about the submitted appeals by 30 April.
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The entire IMAGE of our country – Hungary, has been TARNISHED by the Orban led Government.
Orbans – his “Mia Culpa” let it be titled, the “broadsheet that has been exercised – out of Orban / Fidesz, that in it’s “tones” just saturated encased in PROPAGANDA.
Orban – just centering on this aspect of his REASPONSIBILITIES to the PEOPLE – the people now and into the Future of Hungary, is in ABSOLUTE chaos.
Orban, his Government, the deep rooted DAMAGE they have inflicted not just on the youth of Hungary, that still they LEAVE, but all of Hungary, it’s an IMPOSSIBILITY to have the cataclysmic DAMAGE to our image and reputation restored resurrected by the Orban / Fidesz Government.
The attempts to entice those of all age groups from a variance of professions to “Come Back Home ” just a “veiled” use of propaganda, that is or would be viewed as FALSE.
What is the Future – professionally and “other” inclusive of Investing in Hungary ?
What is the Future of Hungary ?
Orban /Fidesz – the “bolstering” or attempts to STABILIZE our collapsing Economy, by invitation increasing immigration numbers of Guest Workers – by “tens of thousands” = PERILOUS for Hungary.
Orban Viktor before: ” no guest workers!”
https://2015-2022.miniszterelnok.hu/orban-viktor-a-kossuth-radio-180-perc-cimu-musoraban-15/
And after: “we need asian immigrants!”
The joke is self explanatory
(Im not anti immigrant, as i am one of them, i just want to point out the disgusting lies of this government)
No Hungarian can stand to work at those factory in the production line. I’ve been there I see this. You don’t know how hard the work given to this immigrant worker. This should be a problem in the first place if Hungarian work with this kind of job.
If the underlying problems are poor wages and substandard working conditions, the remedy is to address these issues rather than skirt the matter by importing foreign labour for whom even these wages and working conditions are either satisfactory, or they reluctantly have to accept it for the duration of their stay because they’ve, ‘signed on the dotted line,’ as the saying goes.
The problem with Hungarian society and he’s youth generation is that just they’re not good enough for a 21 first century capitalist economy they grow up in a socialist society and all Europe it’s like that and Hungary always going to be like that how long they don’t change their mentality.i am travelling to Hungary 2 times a year and couple times to EU and I do travel a lot around and the biggest problem I see and I realise is that how useless it’s the labour force and the young people in Hungary this generation growing up like mushrooms no skills no intelligence and everybody blames the government but in a capitalist system the government 3 things has to be responsible the army the currency and the taxes the rest has to be private owerniship if you want schooling hospitals or any another services you should pay privately every citizen who uses the service period and that’s why I am saying that Hungarian government is one of the best from the western countries minus it’s socialist programmes which the government should never been involved period