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Hungary’s new government has banned the entry and employment of migrant workers from Armenia, Georgia and the Philippines under a simplified procedure.
The move was announced by government spokesperson Vanda Sondi, according to Daily Hungary.
Sondi said the decision was taken as part of a broader review of the procedures governing the employment of foreign workers.
“As a first step, an amendment to a government decree has entered into force. Under the previous rules, employment agencies were allowed to bring workers from three countries in large numbers through an accelerated procedure. Those countries were the Philippines, Georgia and Armenia.
“From today, workers from these three countries will no longer be able to enter the country under the simplified procedure, while applications to extend the work permits of those already in Hungary will be processed under the standard procedure,” Sondi said.
She did not explain why those three countries were selected.
Sondi also stated that Hungary’s new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, is tightening the rules governing the employment of guest workers in the country, in line with its election pledges.
“The previous government left considerable disorder in this area. Foreign nationals can be employed under 24 different legal frameworks administered by various ministries, and as a result the authorities do not even know exactly how many migrant workers are currently in the country.
“The problem is that these people are willing to work for less than Hungarian citizens, which lowers the overall wage level in Hungary,” Sondi explained.
“The government’s goal is to prevent this, and it is looking for a long-term solution. However, the situation is complex and cannot be resolved overnight,” she added.