Scheme for diaspora Hungarians “huge success”

Budapest, December 1 (MTI) – A government scheme which helps Hungarian communities around the world maintain their Hungarian identity and language has been a “huge success”, according to Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen.

Under the Korosi Csoma scheme, which also nurtures Hungarian culture around the world, 100 young Hungarians were sent to Australia, Canada, the United States, Western Europe and elsewhere to assist the local Hungarian communities, he said on Monday.

Encouraging members of the diaspora to assume Hungarian citizenship is an effective way of halting or even reversing their assimilation, he said, adding that the government has earmarked 1 billion forints (EUR 32.5m) for the Korosi Csoma programme next year and another 500 million forints for the Mikes programme, aimed at preserving the material heritage of diaspora Hungarians.

According to statistics in 2011, the Hungarian diaspora numbers in Australia about 67,000, in Canada 316,000, in the US half a million, in Latin America 200,000 and in Western Europe about 388,000.

Photo: pixabay.com

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters