Stipendium Hungaricum students clarify identity after social media claims

The National Conference of Student Unions (HÖOK) has clarified that a group of passengers observed on a Hungarian-registered bus near the western border were foreign students participating in a country-knowledge program in Sopron. This follows social media posts by influencer Virág Gulyás, who suggested the passengers were illegal migrants due to their appearance and the lack of tourism branding on the vehicle.

HÖOK noted that the individuals were part of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program, a government initiative established in 2013 that allows international students to study at Hungarian universities. The organization emphasized that the program's goal is not permanent settlement, but rather that students return to their home countries to apply their knowledge after graduation. As of September 2025, more than 11,000 Stipendium Hungaricum scholars are expected to have studied in Hungary.