The letter claims that Hungary has created a security risk that could strengthen the Russian spy network in the EU.Continue reading
The European Commission and some member states are stirring up political tension over the National Card, the Minister for European Union Affairs said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. János Bóka emphasized that it was “time to stop this” because “the facts speak for themselves”.
The Hungarian politician attached to his post the letter that Interior Minister Sándor Pintér wrote to Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, who had earlier expressed concern about the extension of the National Card to Russia and Belarus.
As Hungary Today previously reported, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó described it as “childish lies” that Hungary is endangering the security of the Schengen area by extending the National Card Program to Russia and Belarus. “The truth is that Russian and Belarusian citizens can only enter Hungary and thus the Schengen area if they are in possession of a visa, and they can only obtain a residence permit in accordance with the procedure laid down by law, following a procedure conducted by the National Directorate-General for Alien Policing,” he pointed out.
The same migration and security screening procedures will be applied for the National Card as for other residence permits,
János Bóka stressed in his post. He added that the card will be issued taking into account the relevant EU standards and with due consideration of the security risks involved. This practice has not changed, and the European Commission has so far not objected to the Hungarian regulation, he stressed.
Enough from the smear campaign!
In a letter sent by HU minister of interior, @YlvaJohansson was informed: the same migration & security screenings as for other residence permits are carried out when the application for the #NationalCard of Russian & Belarus citizens is evaluated. pic.twitter.com/2Em0rIm1Mi— Enikő Győri (@GyoriEniko) August 21, 2024
Minister Bóka noted that currently only a fraction of Russian and Belarusian citizens residing in the European Union are in Hungary. He also added that Hungary is responsible for a mere proportion of the residence permits issued to Russian and Belarusian citizens.
In his letter, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér also drew the Commissioner’s attention to the importance Hungary attaches to protecting its own national security and the security of the Schengen area as a whole.
By protecting the external borders of the EU and the Schengen area, Hungary contributes to the security and functioning of the Schengen area,”
the letter underlined.
Via MTI; Featured image via Pixabay