Hungary says Russian 'National Card' visa holders will go through same security screening as others

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A Hungarian programme easing visa restrictions for Russians and Belarusians will involve the same security screening as other residence permits, the interior minister said in a letter published on Wednesday, amid European Union concerns over espionage.

Budapest last month extended its "national card" immigration programme to include Russians and Belarusians, triggering alarm among EU officials who feared that Russia could use it to send saboteurs and spies into the EU's border-free Schengen zone.

The concerns partly reflect broader tensions between EU leaders and the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained close ties with Moscow despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The holder of such a card is allowed to work in Hungary without any special security clearance and can bring their family to the country.

"The National Card will be issued in accordance with the relevant EU framework and with due consideration of the possible security risks involved," Sandor Pinter wrote in a letter addressed to the European Union's internal affairs chief.

"In this respect, the Hungarian legislation and practice, which the Commission has not objected to so far, has not changed," Pinter wrote in the letter published on X by EU affairs minister Janos Boka.

Pinter said that an annex to his letter, not published by Boka, would provide detailed answers to the questions posed by EU internal affairs chief Ylva Johansson.

Johansson warned Hungary earlier this month that its decision to ease visa restrictions for Russians and Belarusians posed a potential security threat and said she would take action if her concerns were not addressed.

(Reporting by Anita Komuves; Editing by Hugh Lawson)