This is how Hungary helps Ukrainian refugees
According to the data of the 2011 census in Hungary, among the 13 historical national minorities, the Ukrainians had the seventh largest population (7,396 people), about 60% of whom were also Hungarian citizens. Because of the geographical proximity, war refugees arrived from Ukraine already in the first days after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
However, this could only be realized with a government decree announced on February 24, 2022, since before that entry into Hungary as a refugee was only possible by submitting a preliminary application at a foreign embassy.
According to Frontex data from December 11, 2022, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 1,220,650 Ukrainian citizens crossed the Hungarian border from Ukraine, of which 33,228 persons registered and obtained asylum status. The low number of recognitions as asylum seekers can be explained by the fact that the majority of those fleeing Ukraine see Hungary only as a transit country, and persons with dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizenship are only entitled to benefits, not asylum status. Finally, it should be emphasized that
the tens of thousands of Hungarian third-country nationals staying in Ukraine at the beginning of the Russian invasion – for example, a large number of Indian and Nigerian communities – are provided with accommodation and a safe return home for a few days.
Initial measures and financial background
The invasion of February 24, as well as the wave of refugees that immediately followed, required an immediate reaction, which was first felt in the work of various humanitarian organizations in the settlements along the Hungarian-Ukrainian border – Záhony, Beregsurány, Barabás, Lónya and Tiszabecs – as well as in Budapest. The Budapest Bike Mafia and the Menedék – Migránsokat Segítő Egyesület are smaller civil organizations worth mentioning. The Catholic Charity, the Hungarian Reformed Charity, the Hungarian Maltese Charity, the Ecumenical Relief Society, the Baptist Charity and the Hungarian Red Cross enjoy greater government support, and they are also members of the Charitable Council appointed in 2000. on March 2, the government created the National Humanitarian Coordination Council, which brings together representatives of these organizations and other sectors vital to the situation (education, healthcare, transport, etc.) for the purpose of proper crisis management. Among the state organizations, the work of disaster management, the national defense and the police, which maintain coordination to a large extent, deserves mention.
Four days after the outbreak of war, the police developed a new IT system to register the registration of refugees. It started to be fixed from the end of March with the help of this, which replaced the previous practice of transporting to different transit points.
The role of the state is also decisive in the financial support of crisis management, in the case of large humanitarian organizations. Smaller organizations also benefit from central sources, but civil society and institutional contributions were more typical. It is worth mentioning the 300 million euros of financial support provided by the European Union from the REACT-EU recovery fund, which is aimed at supporting refugees in the current situation – although the recovery fund is basically also used to remedy the damage caused by the coronavirus epidemic, thus to compensate the economic victims in Hungary directed.
At the beginning of October, the Ministry of the Interior reported the arrival of another 21.1 million euros in aid, however, at the end of the said month, it announced that Hungary could no longer benefit from the 100 million euros provided by the European Commission to the countries hosting Ukrainian refugees.
Characteristics of care and long-term options
During the crisis, refugees arrived in the capital in large numbers at the Keleti and Nyugati railway stations, which quickly became overburdened. As a result of the relief, temporary waiting rooms and accommodation were created in several locations in Budapest, for example, the 300-person refugee hostel operated by Migration Aid and converted from a former workers’ hostel on Madrid Street deserves mention. The center designated in the BOK hall opened on March 21, where the six major aid organizations provide all care (food, clothing, medical, psychological, child and pet care, office administration, etc.) in a rotational system; the refugees were transported to the site on free flights. Those who did not travel further to other countries usually stayed with Hungarian families in the capital and in the countryside, in rented accommodation or accommodation provided by the state or municipalities.
The asylum procedure for persons interested in Ukraine since February 24, the demand from other countries is not time-consuming, since applications submitted to the regional representation of the National Directorate General of Immigration (O) receive a positive assessment. With the document issued by the OIF, refugees from Ukraine are immediately entitled to benefits provided by the Hungarian state.
In addition to extensive, free public transport and health care, there is a regular monthly subsistence allowance of HUF 22,800 per adult, and HUF 13,700 for minors.
However, these criticisms were reported in the survey conducted by UNHCR in September, financial support is not sufficient for subsistence, and often does not reach the target persons. Employment is guaranteed without a permit for those with the status, and the Hungarian state also supports those employers who employ Ukrainian refugees for at least twenty hours a week. The information on the OIF website also reveals that
that people with biometric passports and not with asylum status can also work under certain conditions. However, knowledge of the Hungarian language is almost essential for employment, which is why free Hungarian language education is available for refugees.
In the field of education, many individual actors joined in providing assistance, since a significant part of the refugees are children and adolescents. There were Ukrainian Sunday schools in Budapest and Nyíregyháza before, but that was all, besides, the two institutions had enough capacity.
In order to find a solution to the employment and schooling of as many children as possible, the government provides HUF 130,000 monthly support and free textbooks to the educational institutions hosting Ukrainian refugees, among other things, to conduct afternoon catch-up sessions.
event, the Shelter Association organized a round table discussion in June, where organizations involved in education were invited to share good practices. A representative of several schools, such as the Ukrainian Sunday School or the Piarist High School in Budapest, stated that it was possible for many young Ukrainians to join online education in their home country or to complete their studies in Hungary. Furthermore, the learning of Hungarian, Ukrainian, and even Russian was provided in many institutions, and several Hungarian universities, such as Semmelweis University, were also open for refugees to finish their semester. The organization of education was made difficult by the fact that the families settled in many parts of the country, but due to the lack of knowledge of the Hungarian and English languages, there are not enough learning opportunities in many places. From September, the best Hungarian class was able to start their studies in refugee children, since usually there are not enough Ukrainian students in a catchment area to start a separate class. Hungarian as a foreign language education is provided separately for them.
Due to lack of language skills or financial situation, many people chose other Central European countries, such as Poland or Germany, as their destination.
However, many of the applicants for status in our country had a fairly positive view of staying in Hungary.
At the end of August 2022, the UNHCR published an extract compiled on the basis of interviews with 538 people between June and August. Half of the respondents planned to stay in Hungary “in the near future”, 23% said they would return home, 18% chose to travel to other countries (mainly Germany and the Czech Republic), and 8% could not answer the question. proximity, previous employment in Hungary, or secure income may be the explanation. In a survey of 512 people conducted in September, 79% of those with asylum status in Hungary at the time said they would stay, 6% about moving within Hungary, 3-3% about returning home and about moving to another country, and 8% could not answer the question specifically.
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