“The bottom line is that certain visa limits are planned every year and (…) with a limit of approximately 400,000. visas, it was previously indicated that 260,000 visas will come from Belarus. This number adds 80 thousand. visas from Ukraine, and the rest from all other countries, not only Muslim countries,” Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said on RMF FM, when Krzysztof Ziemec asked him about the alleged scam regarding irregularities in issuing visas to foreigners.
Revelations from “Gazeta Wyborcza”
On Wednesday, Gazeta Wyborcza wrote that the Polish Foreign Ministry could have brought hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki admitted that the resignation of Deputy Minister Piotr Wawrzyk is the result of an investigation by the Foreign Ministry services.
It may involve a major corruption scandal that led to hundreds of thousands of immigrants coming to Europe
– wrote the daily.
“GW” wrote that Wawrzyk was responsible for consular and visa matters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The daily reported that Wawrzyk turned out to be the author of the draft regulation on visa facilitation for temporary workers from about twenty countries, including Islamic countries. “The possibility of employing up to 400,000 people in Poland was assumed. employees,” writes “GW”. The daily wrote that “unofficial information, however, reveals a picture of a corruption scandal that enabled the influx of tens of thousands of immigrants to Europe through international recruitment companies.”
According to “Wyborcza”, they supported Minister Wawrzyk’s draft regulation
– wrote “GW”. She said that in 2022 about 200,000 people came to Poland. migrants, including 130 thousand from Muslim countries.
On August 31, the Prime Minister dismissed Wawrzyk from the position of Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; The reason for this decision was – as reported by the Ministry of Diplomacy – the “lack of satisfactory cooperation”. A few days later, at a press conference in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, the Prime Minister was asked about Wawrzyk’s dismissal and about media reports indicating that the dismissal was related to the CBA’s activities. The head of government responded that an investigation is underway and that the relevant services can provide information if they deem it appropriate.
I am aware of such explanatory proceedings underway and hence the dismissal
– added.
We want to maintain absolute transparency and honesty. As soon as we discover traces of irregularities, (…) we leave the matter for clarification. The dismissal took place to put an end to all doubts
– Morawiecki noted.
The great visa scam? Nonsense!
On Friday we published on the website wPolityce.pl a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office denying the information provided by Gazeta Wyborcza and Donald Tusk about the alleged scam regarding irregularities in the issuance of visas to foreigners. It turns out that the size of the practice is much smaller, the migration directions are also inconsistent, and the opposition materials also contain outright lies. The wPolityce.pl portal learned about the extent of the manipulation by the former Prime Minister and his media.
READ MORE: OUR NEWS. The great visa scam? Nonsense! The Public Prosecution Service corrects the manipulations of Tusk and ‘GW’: ‘False information’
Granting a visa and the right to enter Poland
In a conversation with Ziemiec, the minister recalled that granting a visa does not mean the right to enter Poland. When asked about the control of Civic Coalition politicians at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their words that up to 350,000 visas issued to migrants from African and Middle Eastern countries could arouse suspicion, he replied:
The thing is as credible as the idea of blackmailing the head of state. I categorically deny this.
The public should know that we talked about the planned processing of visa applications, but when it comes to countries like Nigeria, Pakistan or India, statistically in Nigeria it is 80 percent. visa applications were rejected; in the case of Pakistan: 75 percent. refuse, India – more than 50 percent refuse. Moreover, granting a visa does not mean the right to enter Poland. It is the right to face a border guard who makes security decisions
– explained Rau.
The head of the Foreign Ministry also referred to reports that tables where visas could be purchased were set up in front of Polish missions in several African countries.
Such a discussion has actually taken place. No institutional and legal solutions have been found. Nothing like that happened in the statutory legal system, but you are talking about the outsourcing system. The bottom line is that it was introduced into our visa granting procedures in 2011, which resulted from the fact that the then management of the Ministry, Mr. Radosław Sikorski, decided to close almost forty branches. This had to be passed on to external companies selected in tenders
– said Zbigniew Rau.
Earthquake in Morocco
According to reports from the Polish Consular Service, the victims and injured people of the earthquake in Morocco do not include Poles, Rau said.
The earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday killed at least 632 people and injured 329. This information was reported on Saturday morning by local state television, citing data from the country’s Ministry of the Interior.
The Foreign Minister noted in RFM FM that according to reports from the Polish Consular Service, there were no Poles among the victims and injured after the disaster.
For now – and God forbid, hopefully there will be no more citizens of ours – these are the reports we have from our consular service in the capital of Morocco, in Rabat
– said the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near Marrakech in the Al-Haouz province at a depth of 18.5 km.
READ MORE: Powerful earthquake in Morocco. Hundreds of deaths, extensive destruction, buildings knocked down in a second. ‘The European Union is ready to help’
“We will appoint more than 400 electoral commissions”
Next week the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come up with a regulation on foreign voting circuits; We will establish more than 400 election commissions, assured the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zbigniew Rau.
Elections for the Sejm and Senate in Poland will be held on October 15. Rau, asked about organizing votes for Poles abroad, announced that regulations regarding foreign voting circuits will be issued early next week.
I would also like to assure you that in these elections we will appoint more than 400 electoral commissions abroad. At the previous elections there were only 320
– said the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The minister noted that the e-election system will also come into effect on September 25. He added that this system “will allow for the next two weeks, until October 10, the registration of all Polish citizens abroad who are ready to vote in these elections.”
When asked whether votes would be lost, the minister replied that “that is self-evident.” He added that “to ensure this never happens,” he asked Polish institutions to indicate whether they need additional people to run these elections.
Such a demand was reported by institutions. We found more people in the reserve than the number requested by the institutions. These people will be referred to these facilities during elections abroad. Their delegation will last about a week. So that, where necessary and requested, they support these election efforts by our consular services
Rau said.
Rau responds to media reports
The conversation also touched on the topic of dismissed Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk. The interviewer, editor Krzysztof Ziemiec, asked Minister Rau about media reports according to which he and Wawrzyk would jointly push for the candidacy of Jakub Osajda for Polish ambassador to Iceland – to the extent that President Andrzej Duda was allegedly the victim of blackmail In this case. matter.
It is absurd that a Constitution Minister would even think of blackmailing any head of state, especially a head of state from the same political camp.
– emphasized the head of Polish diplomacy.
It is true that selecting candidates for ambassadors is an extremely complex and lengthy process. (…) Blackmailing the head of state in such a matter is in itself absurd
– added.
I assure you and give you my word that no one, least of all myself, would dream of putting the President in a similar situation. I don’t think Minister Wawrzyk would do it either
– he said.
He emphasized that he is “not aware of any communication between Minister Wawrzyk and the president.”
kk/PAP/RMF
Source: wPolityce