Breaking News: Hungarian Government drastically tightens guest worker rules from 2025!
From 2025, Hungary’s guest worker rules will look completely different. Check out our article to find out more about the drastic changes to the Hungarian guest worker law!
From the 1st of January 2025, the Hungarian government will introduce significant changes to the Migrant Workers Act, resulting in stricter rules for workers from non-EU countries. The changes are designed to ensure that guest workers can return to their home countries and to limit the scope of workers’ countries of origin.
According to the amendment, it is no longer sufficient for the country of origin of the guest workers to simply promise to take them back. The government is demanding a stronger guarantee that workers will actually leave Hungary when their permits expire.
As Telex reported, the list of countries of origin has also been substantially revised. While the list previously included countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mongolia, the new rules mean that only two countries, Georgia and Armenia, are now eligible to send guest workers to Hungary. This effectively invalidates the previous list and narrows the possibilities for workers to come.
Maximum framework for guest workers from 2025
According to an official statement by the Hungarian Ministry of National Economy, the number of residence permits that can be issued will also be determined from 2025. This number will be capped at 35,000 per year, including both guest workers and residence permits for employment purposes. This move is intended to keep the number of guest workers under control and to adapt it to economic needs.
Government statements and industry reactions
At his end-of-year press conference, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made it clear that the changes were not unexpected. He stressed that countries that have not undertaken to take back guest workers cannot expect Hungary to accept their workers from the 1st of January 2025. “Ten countries immediately fell off the list, maybe more,” Orbán stated, adding that the countries concerned had been informed in advance. The Prime Minister said that the tightening was in the country’s interest and there was no question of introducing it.
However, the government’s decision was not preceded by a broad consultation of businesses directly involved in the employment of guest workers. News of the tightening therefore came as a surprise to the business community. There had already been talk of the Hungarian government imposing an almost total ban on the employment of non-EU workers in Hungary, but there had been no meaningful consultation on the impact this might have on the economy and the businesses involved.
The importance of these changes
There are several reasons behind stricter regulation. On the one hand, the government is concerned with the protection and stability of the country’s labour market, and on the other hand, it is also focusing on social inclusion issues. Countries that do not ensure the readmission of guest workers will not be allowed to send workers to Hungary in the future, which clearly reflects a tightening of migration policy.
The new guest worker law introduces sweeping changes that severely restrict the countries of origin of workers, cap the number of permits that can be issued and ensure the return of workers to their home countries. While the decision is driven by strategic objectives, the changes may pose unexpected and significant challenges for operators and companies. How the government manages the feedback from economic operators and the labour market will be important in the coming period.
Read also:
- Orbán government changes from January, one ministry will cease to exist
- Planned guest worker ban linked to Hungarian government’s fears of rising unemployment?
Featured image: depositphotos.com
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