The number of Hungarian asylum requests in Canada has dropped by 98% since the amendment of the Immigration Act – Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Péter Sztáray declared during his stay in Ottawa. Péter Sztáray was on a two-day official visit to Canada and held meetings at the Defence, Immigration and the Foreign Ministries.

“We were happy to note that with the introduction of new regulations in Canada and the amendment of the Immigration Act, the majority of the elements, which had attracted Hungarian immigration, have been removed. According to figures so far, the number of new applications has dropped by 98 percent” - said the Hungarian Deputy State Secretary.

Péter Sztáray asked his Canadian partners to share all possible information they have about Hungarian citizens preparing to move back to Hungary. As he said, a comprehensive Canadian registry on those leaving does not exist, so only applications for repatriation aid could serve as a basis for assessment.

“I think that the repatriation will be manageable. We are expecting a steady and not a major return in waves” – he stated.

Péter Sztáray revealed that the issue also attracted great attention from the Hungarian Government. A high-level workgroup was established two years ago with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Human Resources, which also regularly consults with the Canadian Embassy in Budapest.

Talking about economic ties, the Hungarian diplomat revealed that Canadian companies wished to take advantage of Hungarian investment opportunities. He pointed out that Hungary is the tenth most important investment destination for Canada. His hosts also emphasized the importance of the Free Trade Agreement to be signed between Canada and the European Union this year.

Parties at the talks also discussed topics related to Central Europe, the Western Balkans and the Middle East, as well as Ukraine, a country both parties also consider important, and Syria. 

“We have received significant praise for assuming protective functions in Syria while the Hungarian Embassy in Damascus was in operation.” – said Péter Sztáray.

Representatives of the two allied countries reviewed the tasks ahead until the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014, as well as possibilities for maintaining support for the Afghan government. According to Mr. Sztáray, Canada is making important preparations to attend the Global Conference on Water to be held in Budapest.

The Hungarian Deputy State Secretary and his Canadian partners agreed that bilateral relations are excellent, but that there is room for improvement. It is in this spirit that State Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs Zsolt Németh is also planning to visit Canada. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird is preparing to come to Hungary, and the possibility of a visit to Canada by President of the Republic János Áder was also raised.

Péter Sztáray attended a citizenship oath ceremony organized at the Embassy in Ottawa, at which ten new citizens were sworn in.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)