Law-abiding guest workers intending to work in Hungary from third-country nationals must not be tangled with the problem of legal immigration, said the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó.
In this regard, Minister Szijjártó also pointed out that despite Europe being “in a very bad state” with a two-and-a-half-year war on the continent and “political and ideological wars hindering East-West cooperation”, Hungary has shown the opposite, Schengen.News reports.
In a meeting with his Filipino counterpart, he said that the cooperation between Hungary and the Philippines is “the best example of successful East-West relations”. The Foreign Minister further revealed that his country holds over 10,000 Filipino workers.
Through dialogue and diplomacy rather than constantly passing judgements and criticism.
New Immigration Law to Affect Residence Permits of Guest Workers in Hungary
The new immigration law in Hungary has been in effect since January 1, 2024. However, the majority of the provisions will take effect from March 1, 2024, and the rules about guest investors will only be enforceable from July 1, 2024.
By law, the guest worker residence permit will be granted only to those employed by certain employers, from certain countries and in certain professions. Furthermore, the guest worker permit can now only be extended for a limited period, up to a total of three years. After this period, the permit cannot be extended, and a new application must be submitted. Therefore, guest workers do not have the right to permanent residence in Hungary or family reunification.
The 15 countries from which foreigners are allowed to work in Hungary under the new regulations are as follows:
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- North Macedonia
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Vietnam
- Russia
- Brazil
- Georgia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Venezuela
- Colombia
Hungary Ready to Welcome Over 65,000 Guest Workers in 2024
The Hungarian authorities stated that this year, the maximum number of guest workers that can come to Hungary is 65,000. On the other hand, the number of registered jobseekers in Hungary fell by 10,000 to 235,400 in February 2024, a historical low for February.
In addition, compared to the figures recorded in 2010, the number of job seekers has decreased by more than 420,000. Curbing inflation, the Hungarian government said it is focused on achieving an economic growth rate of four per cent, adding that this requires restoring consumption, increasing the rate of labour market activity and keeping the investment rate above 25 per cent.
