Hungary Strips Refugee Status From Fugitive Polish Ex-Minister, Officials Say
WARSAW, July 2 (Reuters) — Hungary’s newly installed government has revoked the refugee status of a fugitive former Polish minister and his deputy, Poland’s government said on Thursday, a move that clears a key obstacle in Warsaw’s effort to bring the pair home to face abuse-of-power charges after they fled to Budapest.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in a post on X that he had received written confirmation that Budapest had canceled the international protection of Zbigniew Ziobro, who served as justice minister in Poland’s previous nationalist government, along with his deputy Marcin Romanowski and Ziobro’s wife, Patrycja Kotecka-Ziobro. The move also invalidates the travel documents that allowed them to leave Hungary, Sikorski said.
“The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind,” Sikorski wrote.
The decision marks a sharp break with the policy of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had granted asylum to the three individuals in the waning days of his administration. Orbán’s long-running alliance with Poland’s Law and Justice party (PiS) had provided a political lifeline for the fugitives, who fled soon after a pro-European coalition led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar took power in Hungary.
Poland’s government has been pressing the new Hungarian authorities since late 2023 to strip Romanowski and Ziobro of their refugee status, said their lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski. He accused Warsaw of using the case as a tool to target political opponents. “Since 2023, the entire Polish government apparatus has been focused on persecuting the political opposition in Poland,” Lewandowski said.
Ziobro and Romanowski face charges related to the misuse of a state fund designed to compensate crime victims, allegedly diverting millions for political gain. Both deny the accusations, characterizing them as a politically motivated witch hunt. They argue they were targeted because they investigated alleged wrongdoing by aides to current Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The case has widened into a diplomatic test for the new Hungarian government, which has signaled a more conciliatory stance toward the European Union under Magyar. By revoking the refugee status, Budapest appears to be aligning itself with Warsaw’s rule-of-law push — a reversal of the shelter Orbán provided.
Ziobro traveled to the United States from Milan on May 9, the same day Magyar was sworn in. Reuters has reported that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for Ziobro. Landau and the department declined to comment for that story.
Romanowski’s current location remains unknown. Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said on X that Warsaw would contact U.S. authorities “to inquire whether individuals lacking valid travel documents can continue to reside in the United States.”
The revocation does not automatically lead to extradition, but it removes a key legal shield. Legal experts say Poland is now expected to initiate extradition proceedings against both men, a process that could become entangled in U.S. domestic politics if Ziobro fights removal.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish and Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Rod Nickel)