Hungary may reduce aid to Ukrainian refugees

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated that Ukrainian refugees in the country receive too much support compared to unemployed Hungarians, hinting at possible cuts to aid. Find out how this could affect the lives of Ukrainians in Hungary and what changes are being discussed

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Ukrainian refugees living in Hungary may see their financial support reduced. According to the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Ukrainians in Hungary are receiving too much assistance.

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What exactly did Orbán say?

According to Orbán, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country took in ‘thousands’ of refugees, providing them with housing, social benefits and other forms of support. Now, he says, there are still ‘tens of thousands’ of Ukrainians in Hungary who are benefiting from state aid programmes. According to Eurostat, as of last month, approximately 40,000 Ukrainian citizens had temporary protection status in the country.

The prime minister stressed that Hungary is allegedly the ‘only country’ that provides Ukrainians with the same support as its own citizens. He drew a parallel with the unemployment benefit system: if a Hungarian citizen receives benefits for three months and then has to join community service, Ukrainian refugees must follow the same rules.

‘We are ready to give half of our shirt, but maybe not all of it,’ Orban said, hinting at restrictions on the amount of payments and the duration of assistance.

Read: Emigration to Hungary: how can Ukrainians move there in 2025?

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At the same time, his remarks drew criticism, as similar statements had been made before and contained manipulative assertions. For example, in many EU countries, including Germany, Ukrainians with temporary protection status receive the same social support as citizens of those countries, which is not unique to Hungary.

If the decision to reduce assistance is adopted, it could affect living conditions, access to social programmes and the level of financial support for Ukrainians remaining in Hungary.

Reminder! Hungary is part of the Schengen area, so for short-term tourist trips of up to 90 days, a biometric passport is enough for Ukrainians. We have already told you in which cases Ukrainian citizens need a visa to enter Hungary and how to apply for it correctly to avoid common mistakes.

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