Russian citizens flock to Hungary amidst shifting EU trends
The number of Russians receiving Hungarian citizenship has doubled since 2022. In 2023, Russians ranked third among the nationalities most frequently obtaining Hungarian citizenship.
Key information
- The number of Russians obtaining Hungarian citizenship has doubled since 2022.
- In 2023, Russians ranked third among the nationalities most frequently receiving Hungarian citizenship.
- The number of Ukrainians obtaining Hungarian citizenship has decreased.
The number of Russians who have obtained Hungarian citizenship has significantly increased since the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In 2023, Russians ranked third among the nationalities most frequently receiving Hungarian citizenship, surpassing Ukrainians, Egyptians, and Venezuelans.
This year alone, 138 Russians have received Hungarian citizenship, marking a twofold increase compared to the period before the aggression against Ukraine. The weekly "HVG" noted that the number of Ukrainians obtaining Hungarian citizenship has decreased by half.
In the European Union, Russians are among the three nationalities most frequently receiving EU passports in five countries: Hungary, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland. It is worth noting that only in Hungary and Latvia has there not been a parallel increase in the number of Ukrainians receiving citizenship.
Political context
The changes in the number of Russians obtaining Hungarian citizenship may be related to the political situation in the region and the decisions of individual European Union countries regarding the granting of citizenship. Hungary, as one of the few countries, has not seen an increase in the number of Ukrainians obtaining citizenship.
The doubling of the number of Russians obtaining Hungarian citizenship indicates changing migration trends in Central Europe. This is influenced by both political and social factors that shape the migration policies of individual countries.
