Poland enacts reforms to eradicate corrupt visa regulations
The right-wing Polish government, led by PiS, has been firm in its opposition to illegal immigration. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw showed a surprising leniency in granting visas for substantial fees. These controversial practices are now coming to an end.
Poland is tightening its visa approval process. In the future, there will be no more hidden methods for expedited visa approval, announced Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw. The "Poland Business Harbour" program, which mostly benefited self-employed individuals in the IT sector from neighboring Belarus, has been halted. Changes are also being made to the rules for visa issuance on humanitarian grounds.
Poland, a member of both the EU and NATO, is taking action against corrupt practices in visa approval under the previous nationalist-conservative PiS government, which was in power from 2015 to 2023. A report released on Thursday by the Supreme Audit Office supported media reports from the previous fall that Polish consulates under the PiS government in Asia and Africa were issuing visas for high fees.
The report from the Supreme Audit Office revealed that "an opaque and corrupt mechanism existed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at least from November 2022 to May 2023, which encouraged certain Polish consuls to expedite the processing of visa applications."
7000 Euro Fee for Visa Services
Private intermediary companies were also involved in visa procurement against the law. One of these companies is said to have facilitated 4250 visas between January 2018 and March 2024. They charged applicants up to 7000 Euros for their services, according to the audit report.
This practice of offering easy entry permits contrasted sharply with the PiS government's anti-immigrant and migration stance. In August 2023, Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk was suddenly dismissed. He is believed to have been the architect of this system, according to media reports. He was arrested in January and is currently under investigation for allegations of corruption.
Poland is reviewing its visa policies following corruption allegations. The dismissal of Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk, believed to be involved in the issue, is a result of Poland's commitment to transparency and integrity in its immigration processes, despite Poland being known for its firm stance against illegal immigration.
