The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, told members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) on Wednesday 4 September that she had sent a second letter to the Hungarian authorities on the same day, asking them to clarify the objectives of the new Hungarian national card, which allows nationals of eight third countries , including Russia and Belarus, to work in the country.
The Commissioner sent an initial letter to Budapest on 1 August, at the request of the EPP group in the European Parliament in particular, which was concerned that these work visas would become a backdoor way for Russian nationals to engage in espionage in the EU (see EUROPE 13466/7).
On Wednesday, the Commissioner also said that she was considering a revision of the guidelines on visa policy towards Russian citizens adopted in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, which call on Member States to step up security checks when issuing these documents.
However, she acknowledged that at this stage the country “had not violated EU legislation”. The number of Russian and Belarussian nationals entering Hungary since the introduction of this regime is also said to remain at a “very low level”.
The discussion in LIBE was initiated by the EPP group, according to the Spanish chair of LIBE, Javier Zarzalejos (EPP). In particular, the EPP takes offence at the coincidence - which it finds concerning- between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s trip to Moscow in early July and the entry into force of the new Hungarian national identity card.
This card allows foreign workers from eight countries to stay in the country for at least two years and can pave the way to permanent residency.
Hungary extended this programme - initially reserved for Serbian and Ukrainian nationals - to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Moldavia, and then in July to Belarus and Russia.
On Wednesday, the Commissioner specifically questioned Budapest’s motives for bringing in workers from these two countries at a time when other Europeans have considerably reduced the granting of visas for these two nationalities.
The Commissioner explained that the rate of granting visas to Russian nationals has fallen by 88% since 2022 and since the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Russia. “Taking this step now is questionable”, she said, arguing that the card poses a threat to the entire Schengen area and undermines mutual trust between the member countries of the free movement area.
The second letter contains two specific questions: why does Hungary consider this scheme to be appropriate in the current situation, and what economic benefits does it expect from it when labour shortages in Hungary can also be offset by workers from the EU or other third countries? Are the Hungarian authorities applying additional security checks for Russian and Belarusian nationals?
Several MEPs called on the Commission to issue a stronger response to Budapest. French Renew Europe MEP Fabienne Keller asked the Commissioner whether Hungary could be partially suspended from the Schengen area, as permitted by the Schengen Regulation.
Member States have the option of reintroducing controls at their internal borders if they perceive a threat to their internal security, commented the Commissioner, but they are not moving in this direction.
For his part, the Hungarian Minister for European Affairs, János Bóka, also travelled to Brussels to present his government’s arguments. Criticising the fact that he had not been allowed to take part in the hearing (the chair of LIBE subsequently indicated that he had not received a request to attend), Mr Bóka criticised the European Parliament’s “hysteria” on the subject and said that extending the national card to Russian and Belarusian citizens was necessary to alleviate labour shortages on the Hungarian market.
He stressed that the changes are compatible with EU legislation and do not reduce entry and visa requirements. “The national card system poses no risk to national security, public security or public order in Hungary or the EU”, he added.
In terms of figures, since July Hungary has granted ten permits to Russians and four to Belarusians, and since 2020 the main countries to have issued residence permits, particularly for work purposes, to Russian or Belarusian citizens have been Germany and Poland, he added.
The Hungarian government must reply to this second letter by 11 September. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)