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A recent decision by the Hungarian government to make it easier for Russian and Belarusian citizens to enter the country has drawn criticism from within the European Union, with the leader of the largest political bloc warning that it could open the door to spies.
Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party (EPP), said in a letter to European Council President Charles Michel that Hungary’s move raised “serious national security concerns”.
Weber said in the letter that the “controversial” new rules “create huge loopholes for espionage … and could allow large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal supervision, posing serious risks to national security.” Provided by the Financial Times.
Earlier this month, Hungary unveiled details of a new fast-track visa system that will allow citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, to enter the country without security checks or other restrictions. Budapest says many of them will be hired to build nuclear power plants contracted by Rosatom.
Russian citizens do not face a ban on entering the European Union and the border-free Schengen area, which also includes Norway and Switzerland, if they have a valid visa and are not related to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But Western sanctions in response to Russia’s sweeping invasion of Ukraine include a ban on Russian airlines operating in EU airspace, making travel to the bloc more difficult for Russian citizens. Meanwhile, the rules for granting work permits are a matter for each EU member state.
In the letter, Weber called on EU leaders to “take the strictest measures to immediately protect the integrity of the Schengen area, limit the security risks that have already emerged and prevent member states from taking similar measures in the future.”
Orban, who has long been criticized for his friendly relations with Putin, faced a new backlash earlier this month when he traveled to Moscow to meet the Russian leader after a stop in Kiev.
Orban, who holds the EU’s rotating presidency for the next six months, described the visit as a peace mission, but EU leaders made clear he was not travelling on their behalf.
Many countries have since refused to send ministers to meetings in Hungary, leading to their reassignment to Brussels.
Amid Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine, Orban broke with other EU leaders, refusing to provide Kyiv with weapons to defend against Russian forces and frequently delaying, reducing or blocking financial aid to Kyiv and imposing sanctions on Moscow.
The EU’s longest-serving leader, Orban has become an icon for some conservative populists for his staunch opposition to immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He has also attacked Hungary’s press and judiciary and has been accused by the EU of violating the rule of law and democratic standards./relatively
Posts Hungary’s plans targeting Russians and Belarusians pose ‘serious risk’ to EU First appeared in Ku Klux Klan.
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