EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson sent a letter to Polish authorities on September 20 asking for an explanation about irregularities in the issuance of visas, European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said. The EC asked the authorities in Warsaw to respond by October 3. During the meeting of Member States’ ambassadors in Brussels, Poland asked the European Commission to take effective measures to limit the inflow of illegal migrants into the EU.
We are closely monitoring the latest media reports on these alleged cases of fraud and corruption. These allegations are deeply disturbing and raise questions about compliance with EU law. That is why Commissioner Johansson has sent a letter to the Polish authorities asking for an explanation. In her letter, the Commissioner also asked a number of detailed questions and asked the Polish authorities to respond by 3 October. We hope that the Polish authors will provide the Commission with the necessary information and investigate these allegations
– said Hipper when asked about the issue of irregularities in the issuance of visas.
On September 15, the National Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that the investigation into irregularities in the issuance of visas related to 268 granted applications for accelerated issuance.
The investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Division of the National Public Prosecution Service into irregularities in the issuance of visas concerns exactly 268 granted applications to expedite the issuance of visas.
– this message was placed by the National Public Prosecution Service on the X website (formerly Twitter).
The National Public Prosecutor’s Office also called on “not to reproduce false information about the extent of this practice”.
Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland provided detailed statistical data in its announcement on the issuance of visas to foreigners. The ministry reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has spent more than PLN 1,950,000 on foreigners in the past thirty months. visas allowing residence in Shengen countries and more than 1 million 782 thousand national visas (allowing you to stay only in Poland). More than 586,000 such visas were issued to Belarusian citizens. and more than 534 thousand, while Ukrainian citizens received more than 990 thousand at the time. and more than 988 thousand such documents. The remaining almost 375 thousand Schengen visas and more than 259 thousand national visas were issued to citizens of other countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “it is not true that people applying for visas have received them without any verification.”
The level of visa denial decisions varies widely. In extreme cases this can be as high as 90%. all applications submitted for a specific purpose. For example, of the applications for the issuance of work visas submitted in 2022, the following were rejected: 90%. Iraqis, Nigerians, while the denial rate for citizens of Tajikistan, Pakistan, Algeria, Tunisia and Syria was about 80%. In the case of citizens of Uzbekistan and Bangladesh – at the poviat level. 50 percent
– wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Poland
At the meeting of member states’ ambassadors in Brussels, Poland asked the European Commission to take effective measures to limit the inflow of illegal migrants into the EU – according to unofficial information from PAP. Poland demands strengthening of the EU’s external borders, better implementation of returns and readmission, and the fight against smuggling networks.
According to PAP information, the Polish Ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sadoś, announced during the meeting that the Polish government had adopted a resolution on the migration crisis on Lampedusa and proposals regarding migration policy submitted by the EU institutions in light of the massive influx of illegal migrants, which points to the need to change the direction of the discussion in the EU in this area of migration.
The Polish ambassador called on the European Commission to take appropriate measures that will effectively limit the massive influx of people and the associated risks. To stop illegal migration to the EU – as he said – Warsaw expects a fundamental change in migration policy, focusing on real, not declarative, strengthening of the EU’s external borders, improving the implementation of returns and readmission, combating smuggling networks, and taking effective actions in the areas of countries of origin and transit.
Poland is – as the Polish diplomat said – extremely critical of the mandatory solidarity mechanism currently being negotiated. According to unofficial information from PAP, Sadoś said that the Council’s mandate to negotiate migration rules was adopted without consensus and is therefore inconsistent with the European Council conclusions of 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Avoid moving
Poland called for abandoning the concept of mandatory relocation, as it is a pull factor for illegal migration and an incentive for migrant smugglers and human traffickers.
Sadoś wanted to say that Warsaw hopes that the current crisis situation, which has once again hit Italy, will be treated with due seriousness by the European Commission.
During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, more boats carrying migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where the crisis continues due to the massive influx of refugees from North Africa. The authorities of Italian regions are protesting against the government’s decision to establish migrant repatriation centers in each of these regions.
After around 900 migrants arrived on September 19 on board 23 boats, more than 170 people arrived on board five boats in Lampedusa last night
– local services reported.
One of these boats departed from Libya and the other four from the coast of Tunisia.
Nearly 1,800 migrants remain at the Red Cross-run registration center on the island, including more than 440 unaccompanied minors.
On September 20, rules came into force simplifying the procedure for removing and dismantling boats used by migrants to reach the Italian coast. They are piling up on the banks of Lampedusa and pose a threat to fisheries, among other things.
Another problem facing Giorgia Meloni’s government is, as newspapers reported on Wednesday, the revolt of regional authorities against the need to find places in each of these places where repatriation centers for migrants will be established. The search for a suitable location has already started, but is accompanied by protests from the local government.
The press recalls that attempts to effectively and en masse return migrants who do not have the right to seek asylum and assistance in Italy have so far failed. This is mainly because Rome does not have appropriate agreements with most of the countries of origin of these people. According to local authorities, establishing such centers will not solve the problem.
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Source: wPolityce