Editing Visa Waiver Program (section)

===Hungary===
In October 2017, U.S. officials discovered a massive [[passport fraud]] scheme in Hungary, in which hundreds of non-Hungarians obtained genuine [[Hungarian passport]]s.<ref name=HudsonPethro>John Hudson & Andras Petho, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/massive-passport-fraud-in-hungary-allowed-dozens-of-people-to-enter-us-under-false-identities-officials-say/2018/05/09/b1ee48be-523a-11e8-b00a-17f9fda3859b_story.html Massive passport fraud in Hungary allowed dozens of people to enter U.S. under false identities, officials say], ''Washington Post'' (May 12, 2018).</ref><ref name=Morris>Loveday Morris, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/01/hungary-passport-fraud-us-travel-restrictions/ After massive Hungarian passport fraud, U.S. tightens travel restrictions], ''Washington Post'' (August 1, 2023).</ref> A [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]] report (obtained by the ''Washington Post'' and reported in May 2018) showed that of approximately 700 non-Hungarians who had obtained the passports, 85 had attempted to travel to the United States under false identites, 65 had been admitted to the United States through the VWP, and (as of October 2017) approximately 30 remained in the United States despite the efforts of U.S. authorities to locate and deport them.<ref name=HudsonPethro/> The fraud was enabled by a policy implemented in 2011 by Hungarian Prime Minister [[Viktor Orbán]]; under the policy, the Hungarian government provided passports to [[Hungarian diaspora|ethnic Hungarians living outside Hungary]], who could prove that one of their ancestors was a Hungarian citizen, with the goal of expediting [[naturalization]].<ref name=HudsonPethro/><ref name=Szandelszky>Béla Szandelszky, [https://apnews.com/article/us-hungary-visa-free-travel-restrictions-8d3d2394ca48fefd815f9a95845a58dd US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns], Associated Press (August 1, 2023).</ref> More than a million people obtained Hungarian citizenship through the program.<ref name=Morris/><ref name=HudsonPethro/> Because the program lacked stringent identity-verification procedures, it was abused by bad actors, including criminals and applicants who used forged documents to falsely claim Hungarian descent.<ref name=Szandelszky/><ref name=HudsonPethro/> Some who received Hungarian passports under the program were criminals without any connection to Hungary.<ref name=Szandelszky/>

U.S. officials were alarmed by the risks created by the program, including the risk that the passports might be used in drug smuggling, organized crime, illegal immigration, espionage, or terrorism.<ref name=HudsonPethro/> In October 2017, the U.S. government downgraded Hungary's status in the VWP to "provisional" and sought to develop a "cooperative action plan" within 45 days.<ref name=HudsonPethro/><ref name="thesundaily">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesundaily.my/archive/us-threatens-end-hungary-visa-waivers-after-passport-fraud-report-GUARCH546813|title=US threatens end to Hungary visa waivers after passport 'fraud': Report|work=The Sun Daily|date=May 11, 2018|access-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref> U.S. and Hungarian officials engaged in a dialogue for several years on resolving the security risks, but Hungarian authorities failed to resolve the issues to the U.S. government's satisfaction.<ref name=Szandelszky/> As a result, beginning in 2020 and 2021, the U.S. government barred Hungarian passport-holders who were not born in Hungary from obtaining ESTA pre-travel authorizations.<ref>Lili Bayer, [https://www.politico.eu/article/us-america-visa-waiver-program-esta-visa-waiver-hungary-tourism-viktor-orban/  US limits visa waiver for Hungarians], ''Politico'' (August 1, 2023).</ref><ref>[https://www.imidaily.com/europe/us-drops-visa-waivers-for-hungarian-citizens-born-outside-the-country-cites-fraud-concerns/ US Drops Visa-Waivers for Hungarian Citizens Born Outside the Country, Cites Fraud Concerns], ''Investment Migration Insider'' (April 22, 2022).</ref> In August 2023, the U.S. government imposed additional restrictions on Hungary's participation in the VWP: the ESTA validity period for Hungarian passport-holders was reduced from two years to one year, and each ESTA on a Hungarian passport would be valid for only one entry to the United States.<ref name=Szandelszky/><ref name=Morris/>