Hungary’s National Card immigration scheme has now been relaxed to include nationals from Russia and Belarus.
Nordic and Baltic countries have expressed concern over the potential security risk that Hungary could bring to the bloc by easing entry rules for nationals of Russia and Belarus.
Hungary’s National Card immigration scheme allows foreign works to stay in the country for at least two years, and can pave the way towards permanent residency.
Hungary has extended the scheme, originally available to Serbian and Ukrainian nationals, to EU candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Moldova, as well as Belarus and Russia.
In a letter to the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, the foreign and interior ministers of the Baltic and Nordic states, said that Hungary’s recent actions “may constitute a serious security risk.”
During a joint press conference in Adutiškis, the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania highlighted their concerns.
“There was never a Schengen free for Russian diplomats with hostile intentions, and there was never a Schengen free for possible security breaches by certain countries,” said Baiba Braže, Latvian minister of foreign affairs.
“This is why we take it very seriously as a security risk, and there has been a joint Nordic-Baltic ministers letter — both foreign and interior ministers — and we are currently waiting for the evaluation from the Commission in terms of the legal complications that the Hungarian decision has created, but also the impact on security, on cooperation, and from other angles,” she added.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s minister of foreign affairs, echoed Braže’s words.
“This is a unique situation. Schengen is built on trust. We trust that others will do the same as we do. If that trust is broken or could be broken, we need to look for ways to restore balance in the Schengen area,” Landsbergis said.
“The current provisions provide for additional measures, such as stricter checks on people entering through the EU’s external border. But this has to be assessed by the EU as a body or the Schengen Union.”
Hungary dismisses concerns
The Hungarian government has responded to Brussels’ request for an explanation over its easing of entry requirements for Russian and Belarusian nationals, dismissing concerns it would undermine the security of the Schengen border-free travel zone.
In a letter shared by the Hungarian minister for European affairs on social media channel X, Hungary’s Home Affairs Minister Sándor Pintér claims that the National Card scheme — which was recently extended to Russians and Belarusians — would be issued “in accordance with the relevant EU framework and with due consideration of the security risks involved”.
“Hungary continues to place great emphasis on the protection of its national security and the security of the Schengen area as a whole,” Pintér added.
The Hungarian government said applicants will undergo the same rigorous screening process as for other permits, pointing out that the Commission has never voiced concerns about the processes it currently has in place.
