Hungary has revoked the refugee status of Poland’s former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro, his ex-deputy Marcin Romanowski, and the former minister’s wife, Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the development.
“I have received written confirmation that Hungary has stripped Marcin Romanowski, Zbigniew Ziobro, and Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro of their refugee status. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do turn,” Sikorski wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
According to Polish sources, the so-called “Geneva passports” — travel documents issued to refugees by Hungary — have also been annulled.
Poland’s current Minister of Justice, Waldemar Żurek, stated that Warsaw will now contact U.S. authorities. “In this situation, we will reach out to the relevant bodies in the United States to ask whether individuals deprived of valid travel documents can continue to remain on U.S. territory,” he said.
The Hungarian decision fulfills promises made by the country’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar. Following his party Tisza’s election victory, Magyar repeatedly stated that Hungary would no longer serve as a “safe haven for international criminals” or a “dumping ground” for wanted individuals.