Criminals and fraudsters can also obtain a valid Hungarian passport because of the simplified naturalization program, according to the US Embassy’s argument. The Home Office responded by calling it “Joe Biden’s revenge.”

On Tuesday, the United States drastically limited visa-free travel for people from Hungary – He writes the Politico.

Under the US Visa Waiver Program, citizens of participating countries can travel to the US for up to 90 days without a visa for tourism or business purposes, they only need the so-called Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA, Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

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However, from Tuesday, the validity of the ESTA for Hungarian passport holders will be reduced from two years to one year, and the ESTA will only be valid for one use.

David Pressman, US Ambassador to Budapest, spoke about for a politicianOrbán’s government issued hundreds of thousands of passports between 2011 and 2020 as part of a simplified naturalization program without strict identity verification mechanisms.

The reaction of the government, namely the Ministry of Interior, came a few hours late. It was reported that the United States of America requested data of Hungarians abroad who hold dual citizenship from Hungary. They added: “Hungary will not divulge this to anyone, because the safety of Hungarians abroad is at stake.”

This is why President Joe Biden’s government is now taking revenge on the Hungarians.”

According to information provided by the US Embassy in Budapest, the action taken in Washington is effective immediately, but it only affects new ESTA applications received as of August 1. Previously issued ESTA passes are still valid for two years and for multiple entries

Over many years, the United States government has gone to great lengths to avoid this adjustment and to address long-term security risks arising from the simplified Hungarian naturalization process. Despite this, the Hungarian government decided not to address the concerns that had been raised,” the US Embassy in Budapest announced to on Twitter.

The problem is not new, the United States made Hungary’s placement in the Visa Waiver Program temporary in 2017. Moreover, the same security concerns were behind the decision that foreign-born Hungarians are not entitled to a visa waiver for a long time.

As mentioned earlier, the United States made this decision because many violations have occurred in recent years in connection with obtaining simplified Hungarian citizenship that have been caught by the US authorities. The US Embassy in Budapest said last year that the naturalization process for people of Hungarian descent in neighboring countries was “weak and questionable”. These vulnerabilities allowed criminals and fraudsters to obtain valid Hungarian passports, and the embassy justified its tightening.

hvg.hu has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on this matter, if they respond, we will update our article. while:

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