For Marton Bisztrai, the decision to make a permanent move to Waterford from Budapest was not a sudden impulse, but the final step in a decades-long journey of solidarity with the marginalized. A cultural anthropologist by training, Bisztrai spent years documenting the lives of those on the fringes of society, from the West Bank of Palestine to the migrant camps of Hungary. Though, it was the shifting political landscape of his own homeland that eventually convinced him and his wife, Anna, that Hungary was no longer the right place to raise their children.
The catalyst for their departure was a systemic overhaul of the Hungarian school curriculum. For the couple, the changes represented more than just a shift in academic focus; they saw it as an attempt by the state to mold the cognitive frameworks of the next generation. Bisztrai and Anna decided they could not allow their children to grow up under a regime that sought to dictate not only what teachers taught, but how they thought about life and diversity.
Today, Bisztrai serves as the coordinator of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign for the Immigrant Council of Ireland, continuing a career dedicated to human rights in a modern landscape. His arrival in Ireland in 2023 was the culmination of a relationship with the Irish people that began twenty years earlier in a hostel in Jordan.
From the West Bank to the Danube
Bisztrai’s affinity for Ireland was forged in the mid-2000s during three years spent living in Beit Jala, a Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank. Whereas conducting field research on the relations between Muslim and Christian communities and the social impact of the Israeli occupation, he found a recurring theme of Irish solidarity.
During this time, Bisztrai helped establish a local rugby club. The venture was supported by the Munster Rugby Supporters club, which provided kits for the team, and the Irish Representative Office in Ramallah, which provided a grant of more than €2,000. These early interactions left Bisztrai with a lasting impression of Ireland as a nation defined by its empathy for the oppressed and its passion for sport.
This commitment to pacifism and the marginalized was a family trait. Growing up in Budapest, Bisztrai was raised by parents who were devout Catholics but fierce critics of the church hierarchy. His household operated on a literal interpretation of the New Testament’s “do not kill,” an ethos that led many in his immediate circle to refuse military service, often resulting in imprisonment.
The Humanitarian Toll in Hungary
In 2015, as a massive influx of people from the Middle East arrived in Hungary, Bisztrai transitioned from academic research to active humanitarian work. Utilizing the Arabic language skills he had acquired in Palestine, he began volunteering as an interpreter for asylum seekers stranded on the streets of Budapest, working within hospitals and various non-profit organizations.
His professional trajectory led him to roles with the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) and SOS Children’s Villages. However, this work placed him in direct opposition to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose administration became increasingly hostile toward immigration and humanitarian aid workers.
The pressure became personal before the 2018 elections. Bisztrai recalls that his name, along with those of several colleagues, was published in a newspaper, accusing them of working for George Soros, the Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist who has been a frequent target of the Orbán government’s rhetoric.
Navigating the Irish Housing Crisis
Despite the political motivation to depart, the logistics of relocating a family to Ireland proved daunting. The couple faced the systemic reality of the Irish housing crisis, a shortage that has made finding rental accommodation nearly impossible for many.
Bisztrai describes a grueling process of sending hundreds of emails to landlords and agencies. The breakthrough finally came from Waterford. Because he was still in Hungary, he relied on a friend in Cork to attend a property viewing on his behalf.
My Irish friend was completing the viewing and said: ‘This is a decent home. You won’t secure anything better.’ I got on the aeroplane and paid the deposit. Two months later, we moved
Settling in Waterford has provided the family with a stability they felt was slipping away in Budapest. Bisztrai notes that while leaving extended family was challenging, the environment for his children—spending their days playing with neighborhood peers—is exactly what they had hoped for.
Cultural Clashes and New Norms
While the political transition was seamless, the cultural adjustment has been more nuanced. As a cultural anthropologist, Bisztrai has found amusement in the differing social norms between Hungary and Ireland, particularly regarding hygiene and public behavior.
He points to a specific Hungarian cultural obsession with nasal hygiene. In Budapest, blowing one’s nose into a tissue and keeping it in a pocket is a strict social norm. Bisztrai recalls being told as a child that failure to blow his nose would lead to a doctor “cutting off your face.”
Now, while conducting anti-racism workshops in Irish schools, he observes a different habit: the tendency of students and teachers to sniff or “take back” their snot rather than using a tissue. From his Hungarian perspective, he describes this as “very bothersome,” though it serves as a lighthearted reminder of the vast distance between his old life and his new one.
The transition from the political volatility of Budapest to the community-focused life in Waterford reflects a broader trend of intellectuals and humanitarian workers seeking refuge in EU nations that maintain a more pluralistic approach to education and civil liberties.
As the Immigrant Council of Ireland continues its advocacy work, Bisztrai’s role in the Show Racism the Red Card campaign remains a critical point of engagement for schools across the region. The next phase of his work involves expanding these anti-racism modules to reach more diverse student populations across the south of Ireland.
We invite readers to share their experiences of relocating to Ireland or adapting to new cultural norms in the comments below.
