DK calls for ban on ‘unlawful import’ of guest workers

DK’s Ferenc Varga, who sits in parliament as an independent, told a press conference that the law on guest workers which entered force this year was “a scam”.

In a recent interview, Sandor Czomba, the economy ministry state secretary in charge of employment policy, “admitted that 120,000 guest workers were imported from outside the EU”, the DK politician said, noting that the law stipulates that the number of guest workers must not exceed the number of unfilled jobs at the end of the previous year.

Central Statistical Office (KSH) figures show that in the third quarter of last year almost 80,000 jobs went unfilled, Varga said, insisting this meant that Prime Minister Viktor Orban “and his people have unlawfully roped in 40,000 guest workers”.

He vowed to submit a written question to the government regarding how many guest workers would be imported to Hungary this year and why Hungarians were not given the jobs available.

Ruling Fidesz in response said that the DK party led by Ferenc Gyurcsany and the “dollar left” tried again “to mislead” Hungarians with their statements. Beside allowing illegal migrants and terrorism into Hungary, “they are now stoking up fear in Hungarians by talking about the import of illegal guest workers in the country,” Fidesz said in a statement.

It cited recent legislation which has tightened the protection of the employment of Hungarians, by setting a quota on the number of third country guest workers who can be employed in Hungary. “Their number in 2023 was 62,000 and this was never exceeded, as is required by law,” the party said, calling on DK “to stop misleading the public”.