Hungary to stop issuing worker visas to people from three countries starting Friday

Hungary's government will stop issuing worker visas to employees from the Philippines, Georgia and Armenia from Friday, a government spokeswoman said, calling the move a first step towards regulating the inflow of guest workers.

• Prime Minister Peter Magyar's Tisza party, which ended right-wing leader Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule in an 12 April election landslide, has said it would stop issuing visas to workers from outside the European Union from June.
• The government will tighten employment opportunities for guest workers over what it says are concerns they are pushing down local salaries, spokeswoman Vanda Szondi told a media briefing.
• Foreign workers account for just 2% of Hungary's workforce based on official statistics, but some sectors, such as services and manufacturing, are heavily reliant on foreign workers.
• The government will change a decree allowing manpower companies to import workers in a simplified procedure from the Philippines, Georgia and Armenia as of Friday.
• Employees already present can still apply for an extension, while requests already submitted will be assessed.
• The government called the reforms a first step in a planned long-term solution.
• Some of Hungary's largest foreign investors have said a complete halt to the inflow of guest workers would hit companies and the wider economy.