Hungary closes doors to labor migrants, but not for everyone: will this affect Ukrainians
The new Prime Minister of Hungary, Peter Magyar, has limited the influx of labor migrants from countries outside the European Union by a government decree published on June 6, writes DPA.
New residence permits under the labor migration program will no longer be issued. The relevant decree has already been published in the Official Gazette of Hungary.
The restriction on the influx of labor migrants was one of Magyar's pre-election promises during the campaign.
The new head of government explained his position by stating that more jobs should be given to Hungarians, and companies should not lower wage levels by employing foreigners. At the same time, industry associations and employers emphasize that many sectors of the Hungarian economy face a labor shortage.
The new regulation provides that already issued residence permits will remain valid until the end of their term. However, the document does not specify whether such permits can be extended after their expiration.
The decree does not mean a complete cessation of issuing residence permits to citizens of non-EU countries. The ban specifically concerns the simplified program for labor migrants, which allowed relatively easy hiring of workers from outside the European Union through agencies controlled by Viktor Orban's circle.
It is estimated that about 90,000 workers from non-EU countries work in Hungary, which accounts for approximately 2% of the country's total workforce.
Most of them are employed in the battery and automotive industries, construction, seasonal agricultural work, and delivery services. They mostly come from the Philippines, Ukraine, China, Vietnam, and India.
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