Roundtable Conference at the HQ of NDGAP

This year, the National Directorate General for Aliens Policing organised the Roundtable Conference for members of the Hungarian Higher Education community, which event has been slowly becoming a tradition, with the aim of promoting the internationalisation of higher education and preventing abuse of the system. Organised by the Aliens Policing Directorate and the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference, this year’s event was attended by representatives from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Regional Directorates of NDGAP, as well as leaders and experts from 30 higher education institutions.

Pol. Major General Dr. Sándor Gömbös, Director General, emphasized in his opening remarks that NDGAP’s goal is to work with higher education institutions to establish a process in which residence permits for the purpose of studies are processed as smoothly and efficiently as possible, while ensuring that this speed does not compromise the requirement for a thorough examination of applications.  The Director General pointed out that the proportion of residence permits issued for the purpose of studies and training has been rising for years relative to the total number of residence permits; at the same time, there is a concerning trend of an increased number of applicants who, concealing their true intentions, cite “pursuit of studies” in the hope of being granted entry into the Schengen Area.

Then, at the conference, Pol. Lt. Col. Dr. Kristóf Jáger Director of the Aliens Policing Directorate, showcased trends from recent years using statistical data, reported on changes regarding the main issues discussed at previous conferences, and answered questions from higher education institutions. The Director emphasized that NDGAP lays particular emphasis on providing information to students on its website (https://oif.gov.hu/students), and on effective cooperation with universities.

In preparation for the upcoming wave of applications before the next semester, the Regional Directorates will conduct further discussions with higher education institutions operating within their territorial competence.