Hungary plans sharp course against double nationals - citizens on alert!

Hungary plans sharp course against double nationals - citizens on alert!

Ungarn, Ungarn - The Hungarian government plans to introduce a draft law that provides for the temporary withdrawal of Hungarian citizenship for certain double citizens. According to information from Krone , the draft was brought in by a member of the government in parliament and could be adopted without major hurdles.

The measure is specifically against people who are classified as “state -threatening”. This only affects double citizens, whose second citizenship does not come from an EU country or from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland. An example could be Hungarian-American double citizens who work in human rights organizations.

acute legal and social implications

Temporary withdrawal of citizenship could take up to ten years, which is internationally unusual, since citizenship is permanently withdrawn in most countries. This step could have a serious consequence for those affected, since it is connected with a possible reference from the country, which is not threatened with purely Hungarian citizens.

The planned change in law encounters violent criticism. Opposition politicians and human rights organizations warn of the possibilities of abuse of these regulations and emphasize that they can mean a serious restriction of fundamental rights. Such measures raise fundamental questions about the legality and ethics of the procedure.

global perspective of double citizenship

Developments in Hungary are in the context of a global debate about double citizenship. Many countries, especially in the European Union, are increasingly open to multi -state. In the EU, countries such as Italy, France and Spain have laws that enable double citizenship. Germany also adopted a new naturalization law at the end of June 2024, which allows German citizens to double citizens, provided that this is compatible with the home country, as described. Viewed internationally, 76 % of the countries in Europe, 65 % in Africa, 93 % in Oceania, 91 % in North and Central America and 92 % in South America are open to multi-state. In Asia, the proportion is over 50 %. Nevertheless, there are also numerous countries, such as China and India, which in principle prohibit double citizenship. In India there is the "Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) Program" for Indian -born people abroad, but double citizenship remains not possible for most people.

The Hungarian legislative initiative could further complicate the already differentiated regulations on double citizenship and bring affected people into a precarious situation. The reactions at home and abroad are being pursued.