The Hungarian authorities issued more than 100,000 Hungarian passports in Transcarpathia, said Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Bodnar. According to him, the documents were issued basically until the moment when Ukraine received a visa-free regime with the European Union, so these passports were attractive for Ukrainian Hungarians.

"According to different data, including Hungarian, Hungarian passports more than 100 thousand issued. But here the question is what? These passports were issued mainly until the moment Ukraine received a visa-free regime. The attractiveness of this passport was practical - you could seamlessly cross the border, get a job in Hungary or further. And now we will calculate what has Hungary achieved by distributing passports to Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin? According to various estimates, from 30 to 40,000 able-bodied Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin left for other European states. In fact, both Hungary and Ukraine lost them, "Bodnar said in an interview with Radyo Liberty.

The deputy minister noted that after obtaining Hungarian passports the residents of Transcarpathia went to work where they are now above salaries" to Slovakia, to certain areas or Austria, or to Germany ".

Bodnar also stressed that there are confirmed facts that Hungarian officials traded passports of their state.

"These passports, then, used to be traded to some extent. And it will not be a secret that some Ukrainians received passports under different "sauces" and arrangements. - Who traded? - Hungarian officials, let's say. I do not want to blame directly. But there are such facts, and they are confirmed, "said Bodnar.