On 1 September 2016 the police began a recruitment drive for its border patrol action units. More than 2000 people requested and received information on applying from the National Police Headquarters’ National Recruitment Centre.

Regional recruitment authorities have already received potential applicants at events held in several counties, including Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hajdú-Bihar, Heves, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komárom-Esztergom, Somogy and Zala counties. Recruitment groups from various county police headquarters will also be at work at several points around the country during the upcoming weeks (prospective border guards can apply on the Police Facebook and Twitter pages, by mail, e-mail or telephone, as well as in person at any police authority).

Any Hungarian national over the age of 18 with no criminal record, a permanent address in Hungary and at least a high school certificate can apply to become a member of the border patrol personnel. After applying, prospective police officers will undergo a medical and psychological examination as well as a physical aptitude test, in addition to which, with their approval, they will be vetted.

Successful applicants will take part in a six-month special modular training programme, the first two months of which will involve training in basic law enforcement duties followed by a four month module on guard and co-patrol duties. Following the successful completion of the second module, applicants will take a complex professional exam and receive their partial qualification in guard and guard and co-patrol duties.

During the first two months of training students will be employed with a gross salary of 150,000 Ft/month. If the pass their exam at the end of the second month they will be employed full time as members of the Standby Police Force at the rank of sergeant with a 12-month probation period and a basic salary of 220,300 Ft/month. If applicable, they will also be eligible to receive foreign language, night duty and standby supplements and to be paid overtime in either money or time off, as well as receiving free access to the life and accident insurance available to full time staff. After being employed full time they will receive in employee benefits including 200,000 Ft/year in cafeteria benefits, housing benefit, rent assistance or basic accommodation if warranted, annual clothing benefit, reimbursement of work travel expenses and preferential public transport charges and mobile phone tariffs.

Recruitment is continuous and training courses are expected to begin regional from November 2016 in accordance with the number of applicants. After successfully passing their final exams the new police officers will be stationed at the Standby Police Force’s various departments in Budapest, Miskolc, Nyírbátor, Debrecen, Orosháza, Szeged, Kiskunhalas, Pécs, Kaposvár, nagykanizsa, Szombathely and Győr.

The Government decided in August 2016 to reinforce the Police’s border patrol action department with 3000 new police officers in view of the increasing illegal migration pressure on the Hungarian-Serbian and Bulgarian-Serbian borders and the fact that the number of immigrants waiting to enter the European Union has increased and the level of illegal immigration is not expected to fall in future. In addition, the workload of the police must be reduced and we must avoid tiring them out; Hungary’s balanced state of public safety must be maintained. A further goal is that the public’s subjective sense of security should not decrease. To facilitate the realisation of the 3000-person increase in staff, a new border security directorate will be established in addition to the Standby Police’s existing border security department and the current seven border patrol action departments will be expanded to 15 border patrol action departments.

(Ministry of Interior/MTI)