Hungary too has a vested interest in a settled, soft Brexit – the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the Deputy State Secretary for coordinating EU affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office stated on Wednesday in Budapest.
Pál Péter Schmitt spoke at an event of the British Embassy in Hungary, the purpose of which was to provide factual information for British nationals regarding the conditions under which they may reside in Hungary, engage in gainful employment and access social security services after Brexit.
In his address delivered in English, the Deputy State Secretary pointed out that on Tuesday the Hungarian Parliament adopted a law for the event of Britain’s departure from the EU without an agreement. After three years of residence in Hungary, within the framework of a swift and simple procedure British nationals will be entitled to seek a national residency permit which will offer them, inter alia, equal treatment – the same treatment as that extended to Hungarian citizens – in the area of social security, he added, observing that the government is even considering making the issuance of the document free of charge.
Mr Schmitt indicated that in the event of a short stay in Hungary for less than ninety days there will be no visa requirement under any circumstances.
The cabinet even started a website with a view to providing useful, topical and easy-to-understand information for British citizens for both eventualities: Brexit with and without an agreement.
He observed that the website covers a great many topics, including employment, education and driving licences.
Some topics may have remained unclarified; however, the government wishes to address every possible problem. Therefore, the Deputy State Secretary encouraged the attendees to contact the cabinet’s representatives should the need arise.
According to Mr Schmitt, we must not sit back and relax because there are many possible scenarios, and we must prepare for every one of them.
It is in the government’s best interest to guarantee both the interests of Hungarians in Britain and Brits in Hungary on the basis of mutual benefits, the Deputy State Secretary stressed.
British Ambassador to Budapest Iain Lindsay called upon British nationals to take care of their documentation before the Brexit date in order to ensure that their stay in Hungary complies with the relevant regulations.
If they have not yet registered, they should do so at the Immigration and Asylum Office, he indicated.
He encouraged those concerned to keep track of the Embassy’s website as well as its social media channels.
Mr Lindsay said he understands that British nationals are having a hard time not only in Hungary, but throughout Europe. At the same time, together with his colleagues and the Hungarian government he has worked hard to alleviate the uncertainty they are facing.
They called upon EU Member States to protect the rights of UK citizens in the event of a hard Brexit, he said. Hungary was one of the first states to announce that it is planning to protect the status of British nationals on a reciprocal basis, the Ambassador recalled, describing this attitude as friendly and supportive.
Mr Lindsay said they believe that it would be best to leave the EU with an agreement.