Hungary has extended the possibility for workers from some non-EU countries, including Russia and Belarus, to apply for a work visa and reside for at least two years. Budapest: “no risk, just EU political hysteria”
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The European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson sent a new letter to the Hungarian government on Wednesday asking for further explanations for its decision to extend the National Card System to citizens of nationality Russian and Belarusian.
“We are working to establish the facts and this process is ongoing,” Johansson told a hearing at the European Parliament. The Commissioner said she had sent a second letter following the one received two weeks ago from the Hungarian authorities in response to the request for clarification sent by the Berlaymont Building in July.
According to Johansson, the Hungarian response leaves two aspects unclear: “why the Hungarian government considers such a system necessary and appropriate in light of the current political situation”. For the Commissioner, the national advantage at economic level “seems limited and disproportionate compared to the potential threat to the Schengen area“.
What does the Hungarian immigration program provide for the entry into the country of non-EU citizens?
The Hungarian immigration program allows foreign workers to stay in the country for at least two years and may pave the way for permanent residency. Hungary has extended the program, originally open to Serbian and Ukrainian citizens, to EU candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Moldova, as well as Belarus and Russia.
Budapest to Brussels: “No Risk, Just Political Hysteria”
In the long-distance exchanges, Hungary accused the EU Parliament and some member states of “political hysteria“: at a press conference in Brussels, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs János Bóka said that “there is no legal problem or national security with the new system of entry into the country” which would facilitate work residence for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
“The reason for the extension of the scheme is dictated by the needs of the labor market in Hungary. The government has determined that there are areas where citizens of these countries have special skills and resources that are necessary for our economy,” Bóka explained. The minister also highlighted that other countries are adopting the same scheme and that Hungary is not at the top of the rankings for the entry of Russian and Belarusian citizens, but the Germany. “Over the past two months, this type of visa has been granted to ten Russians and four Belarusians. These numbers are statistically insignificant,” Bóka stressed.
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