The United States has tightened Hungary's participation in the US visa waiver programme starting August 1, due to security risks associated with Hungarian passports issued between 2011 and 2020. The Orban government called the move revenge against Hungarians by the Biden administration.

The statement issued on the morning of August 1 by the US embassy states that between 2011 and 2020, Budapest granted Hungarian citizenship to nearly one million individuals through a simplified naturalisation procedure without conducting adequate security checks on their identities.

"Considering the Hungarian government's decision not to fully address the security risks arising from the simplified naturalisation process, the procedures for participation in the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) will be modified for all Hungarian passport holders," the statement reads.

The restrictions apply to the US Visa Waiver Programme, which allows passport holders from 40 countries to enter the United States for business or tourism without a visa for up to 90 days.

The validity of Hungarian citizens’ travel authorisation obtained through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) will be reduced from two years to one year and its validity will be limited to single use.

US ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, told Politico that the US government had alerted the Hungarian cabinet over the issue years ago, but it did not take substantive steps to address the matter.

The 1mn figure cited by Washington refers to the number of people who have received Hungarian citizenship since the government approved the Hungarian Citizenship Act in 2010. The law granted citizenship to everyone who can trace back lineage to their lineage to ethnic Hungarians who lived in the territory of Greater Hungary, or the territories of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy before it collapsed in 1918. A lack of knowledge of Hungarian was not a disqualifying factor.

Fidesz did not hide its motivations and openly acknowledged that one of the main motivation, besides 'strengthening the nation's unity', was to increase its support base. The ruling nationalist party has won all three elections since with a landslide, so the vote of ethnic Hungarians never tilted the balance, but in a close race this could be decisive.

The interior ministry issued a statement saying that Washington demanded data on Hungarian citizens with dual citizenship living abroad.

"Hungary will not release this information to anyone because the safety of Hungarian citizens living abroad is at stake. This is why President Joe Biden's government is seeking revenge against Hungarians," the statement read.

US and European leaders have demanded Hungary tighten the background screening of applicants for its golden visa programme. Under the scheme running from the summer of 2013 until March 2017, foreign nationals who bought Hungarian government bonds, initially set at €250,000, which was raised to €300,000 later, could apply for fast-tracked permanent residency in Hungary and the Schengen Zone.

According to a 2018 report by Transparency International Hungary and the Fiscal Responsibility Institute Budapest (FRIB) the exclusive agents selling the bonds were companies registered in shady offshore paradises, linked to business circles close to Antal Rogan, who now heads the Cabinet Office and oversees all of Hungary’s intelligence agencies. These businesses may have reaped HUF30bn (€78mn) profit over the years, according to NGOs.