Services Provided to Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings
For victims of trafficking of human beings
If, in the course of your journey to Hungary, you were held captive against your will, forced to work, or denied the pay you were promised for your work, you may be a victim of human trafficking, and therefore entitled to special protection.
Similarly, you may be a victim of human trafficking entitled to special protection if your employer in Hungary limits your freedom of movement, or if your shelter, pay and working conditions are less favourable than previously promised by your employer and/or recruiter, or if you are denied a significant portion of your pay.
If you need support because of the harm you have suffered, or you need consultation, legal aid, medical help, you can contact the following organisations.
You may find the contact details of the victim support centers at the following link
https://vansegitseg.im.gov.hu/elerhetosegek/ and
for support you may also call the non-stop line 06 80 225 225
For children the https://youngo.hu/#/ application might give assistance and support.
Personal care and financial aid
Third-country nationals who are victims of trafficking in human beings and who has been granted a residence permit (hereinafter referred to as victim) are entitled to receive provisions within the framework of personal care, as well as financial aid by the Directorate-General for Aliens Policing of Hungary.
The rules for granting such aid and support are laid down in Government Decree 35/2024 (II. 29.) on the Implementation of Act XC of 2023 on the general rules for entry and residence of third-country nationals (hereinafter referred to as “Government Decree”).
Benefits covered by personal care:
(a) the provision of accommodation and care in the community or equivalent accommodation, and
(b) health care.
After moving out of a community shelter or reception centre, the victim of trafficking in human beings may, if he/she is in need, receive a monthly allowance, if he/she so requests, for twelve months after the first issue of the residence permit, at the rate of the employment substitution allowance, that is 22 800 Forints in 2024.
A condition for the provision and payment of benefits and allowances is that the victim or his/her spouse, partner, brother or sister and direct relative living in the same household must not have any assets available in Hungary that can ensure his/her livelihood, and his/her monthly income per capita, taking into account the total income of his/her spouse and direct relative living in the same household, must not exceed the amount of the social projection base.
The application of the victim will be examined by the regional directorate responsible for the place where he or she is staying.
Declaration and notification obligations
If the victim
– has assets that enable him/her to support himself/herself,
– his or her income has reached the level of 22 800 Forints, or
– his/her accommodation has changed during the period of payment of the assistance
must notify the regional directorate competent for the place where he/she is staying within 15 days of the change in his/her property or income or change of address.
The regional directorate may examine ex officio the eligibility of the victim.
When providing the benefits and assistance, the regional directorate may oblige the victim to make a declaration to provide proof of his/her assets and income withing 15 days.
If the victim does not comply with the obligation above and is unable to extradite himself/herself, the regional directorate shall suspend the payment of the assistance granted until the obligation is fulfilled. If the period of suspension exceeds thirty days, the aid due for the period of suspension shall not be paid and shall be terminated.
The victim who is a beneficiary of the assistance must notify the regional directorate responsible for his/her place of accommodation of his/her stay abroad for more than thirty days or of any other obstacle to receiving the assistance, before or immediately after the obstacle arises.
On the basis of such notification, payment of the allowance will be suspended for the duration of the absence or until the obstacle has ceased to exist. If the victim does not comply with the obligation to notify and does not receive the aid by the next due date for payment, the payment of the aid will be terminated.
If it is established that the victim is no longer entitled to the allowance due to the cessation of his/her dependency, the allowance shall be immediately discontinued.
Certificate of temporary residence and residence permit on humanitarian grounds
A certificate of temporary residence shall be issued to a third-country national who is a victim of trafficking in human beings, if initiated by the authority of victim support services, for the duration of the reflection period.
The validity period of a certificate of temporary residence shall be one month and it may not be extended.
In the absence of the requirements for a residence permit specified in the Act a residence permit on humanitarian grounds shall be granted:
- for substantial national security or law enforcement reasons - by initiative of the court, the public prosecutor’s office, national security or law enforcement agency, or the investigating arm of the Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal (National Tax and Customs Authority) - to any third-country national, or other affiliated third-country nationals on his or her account, who has cooperated with the authorities in a crime investigation and has provided considerable assistance to gather evidence;
- by initiative of the court, to third-country nationals who have been subjected to particularly exploitative working conditions, or to third-country national minors who were employed illegally without a valid residence permit or other authorization for stay.
The validity period of a residence permit granted on humanitarian grounds:
- shall be up to six months if the third-country national is a victim of trafficking in human beings, that may be extended by up to six months at a time;
- in case the third-country nationals has been subjected to particularly exploitative working conditions, or a minor who were employed illegally without a valid residence permit or other authorization for stay shall be up to six months, that may be extended by up to six months at a time, until the definitive conclusion of proceedings brought by the third-country national against his or her employer for the purpose of recovering outstanding remuneration.