Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 67 MEPs urged Ursula von der Leyen to reassess Hungary’s Schengen membership due to relaxed visa conditions for Russians and Belarusians, citing security concerns and espionage risks.
A group of 67 MEPs penned a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, challenging Hungary’s continued membership in the Schengen area, following Budapest’s conclusion to ease visa conditions for Russians and Belarusians. The letter formed by the Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius and the Czech MEP Danuše Nerudová collected the signatures of a total of 67 MEPs.
How Does Hungary’s Policy Impact Schengen Security?
“Prime Minister Orbán is clearly increasingly testing the EU’s patience. This month, the Hungarian government extended its ‘national card’ immigration program, allowing ‘guest workers’ from Belarus and Russia to enter their territory. The holder of such a card is allowed to work in Hungary without security checks and can bring his family to the country,” the letter said.
Are Hungary’s Visa Policies a Security Threat?
The MEPs anointed Orban’s determination as “irresponsible” and a significant security threat to all “These ‘workers’ with Hungarian visas will be able to drive freely throughout the Schengen area. Without proper authorization, there is a chance that these non-European citizens could strengthen the Russian spy network within the EU. It is our duty, as European institutions, to protect European citizens from these threats, and not to completely open the borders to countries that consider us their enemies,” the letter said.
Should the EU Challenge Hungary’s Schengen Membership?
It further notes that if the Hungarian government declines to change its policy, the EU Commission and all EU representatives should challenge Hungary’s presence in the Schengen area by introducing new steps to protect European citizens, including new regimes at Hungarian borders if necessary.
Are Other Schengen States at Risk Due to Hungary?
They also contended that “other Schengen states have the right to decline to recognize visas issued by Hungary to Russian and Belarusian citizens, with appropriate significances.” “The safety of our citizens must be the first consideration of all European institutions, and we count on the full attention of the EU Commission in this matter,” the MEPs concluded.
On August 1, the EU questioned Hungary to respond to concerns that Budapest’s decision to relax visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens raises the risk of espionage in the bloc. The largest group in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party, previously grumbled that loosening the regulations could form “serious loopholes for espionage activities”.
Lithuania demanded the European Commission regarding Hungary’s decision to reduce entry restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens, Klix. ba writes.
