ER
THE United States (US) introduced new travel restrictions for Hungarian citizens from Tuesday (8/01), 2023, over concerns that the identities of nearly 1 million foreigners who have been issued with Hungarian passports for nine years are not properly verified, according to the US Embassy and a Government officials.
These restrictions apply to the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows passport holders from 40 countries to enter the United States for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days.
The travel validity period for Hungarian passport holders under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization was reduced from two years to one year. Then, each traveler will be limited to one-time entry into the United States. This is the only restriction among the 40 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.
A senior US administration official said the changes came after years of failed US efforts to work with the Hungarian government to resolve security issues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to shed light on diplomatic involvement.
Hundreds of thousands of Hungarian passports were issued without strict identity verification requirements, some of them to criminals who posed a security threat and had no ties to Hungary, the official said.
The Hungarian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, began offering simplified naturalization procedures for those who claim to be of Hungarian descent in 2011, even if they do not live or do not intend to live in Hungary.
Hundreds of thousands of some 2 million ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries – mainly in Romania, Serbia and Ukraine – acquired Hungarian citizenship through this simplified procedure.
Critics say the program allows tax-free ethnic Hungarians living in other countries to vote in Hungarian elections, thus giving Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party an advantage.
The United States previously re-categorised Hungary as a temporary member of the Visa Waiver Program because of these concerns. The Hungarian government responded to the restrictions on Tuesday in a statement from the Interior Ministry.
The statement said the United States had requested the personal data of ethnic Hungarians abroad who have dual citizenship and that the Hungarian government was unwilling to provide such information to protect the security of those citizens.
“This is why President Joe Biden’s administration is now taking revenge on the Hungarian people,” the statement said. [sources/photo special]
