Poland's New Visa Regulations following cash-for-visas scandal.
Poland's foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, announced that the country is strengthening its visa regulations following investigations into a suspected cash-for-visa scandal, which have revealed irregularities amounting to millions of dollars during the previous administration.
Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has stated that the country is tightening its visa rules after looking into a suspected cash-for-visa scandal. The investigations uncovered irregularities totalling millions of dollars from the previous government. Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski has updated the rules, making it tougher to get a Polish visa that allows free movement in the EU's Schengen zone. Visa applicants will face more detailed checks to make sure that student visa requests, for instance, aren't just a cover for entering the EU.
Poland's Supreme Audit Office has published its investigative report regarding allegations concerning the visa department of the Foreign Ministry. The findings corroborate media reports from 2023, which indicated that Polish consulates in Asia and Africa were charging substantial fees, amounting to thousands of euros, for each work visa issued. The investigation identified 46 distinct irregularities across five key areas, highlighting issues such as a lack of transparency, a susceptibility to corruption, and insufficient oversight by Zbigniew Rau, who served as Foreign Minister during that period.
The Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: "We can confirm that, unfortunately, in a scandalous way, unlawful pressure was exercised over Polish consuls with the intention of increasing the number of visas issued to people, who should not necessarily obtain them, including the citizens of the Russian Federation." Visa fees, previously among the lowest in Europe, have drawn migrants from Asia and Africa aiming to enter EU nations through Poland.
The cash-for-visa program was established under Poland’s previous right-wing Law and Justice government. The audit investigation uncovered that from 2018 to early 2024, numerous visas were granted to applicants who paid substantial fees to agencies affiliated with Polish consulates. According to auditors, some individuals were charged as much as 7,000 euros. A separate investigation by the Polish anti-corruption bureau has resulted in charges against former deputy foreign minister Piotr Wawrzyk and nine other individuals.
An audit reports says that Poland issued a total of 6.1 million visas from 2018 to 2023, which includes 1.2 million Schengen visas, out of 6.5 million applications received. Of these, approximately 3.4 million visas were allocated to Ukrainian nationals, 1.6 million to Belarusian nationals, and over 357,000 to Russian nationals, with some being issued following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
