Polish visa data analyzed: official figures and political responses

Paweł Jabłoński, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, shared important visa figures on Twitter in response to claims from political opponents. The Civic Platform asserted that Poland issued hundreds of thousands of visas to individuals from Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim-majority nations, calling it the biggest scandal of the century. Jabłoński clarified these assertions with documented data, noting the actual distribution by citizenship for 2022 and listing the top countries involved.
For the year 2022, the number of visas issued by Poland to people from Africa and the Middle East by citizenship was as follows: Egypt 2,076; Zimbabwe 2,018; Algeria 1,923; Jordan 1,673; South Africa 1,537; Iran 1,339; Ethiopia 1,160; Nigeria 20 visas per week at the Abuja embassy, equating to a substantial but far smaller total than claimed; Morocco 984; Lebanon 930. Other nations in the region received several hundred, dozens, or only a handful of visas. Jabłoński emphasized that these figures had already appeared on official government portals for months and urged the public to verify the data independently.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored the importance of transparency in public discourse and challenged the opposition to examine the official sources rather than relying on rhetoric.
In Jabłoński’s account, a figure of up to 250,000 visas was mentioned, with a note that 248,952 remained unaccounted for in that context. He proceeded to explain how many individuals from African and Middle Eastern countries who received a Polish visa in 2022 were subsequently granted work permissions within Poland and presented a country-by-country breakdown: Egypt 314; Zimbabwe 181; Algeria 29; Jordan 51; South Africa 113; Iran 68; Ethiopia 89; Nigeria 46; Morocco 88; Lebanon 79. The aggregated total for work-authorized visas in this group reached 1,048, adding to the 250,000 figure and reinforcing the point that the numbers require careful interpretation rather than broad generalizations.
Jabłoński argued that the ongoing political debate around visa statistics sometimes involves attempts to exaggerate or politicize the issue. He asserted that the factual data and official records should guide public understanding and policy discussion rather than unverified claims. The exchange highlighted the need for precise, verifiable information when addressing migration and visa topics in public forums, especially in a climate where numbers can be used to shape political narratives. The deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attributed incentives to political maneuvering and encouraged accountability through transparent documentation.
This discussion reflects the broader challenge of presenting migration data in a way that is both accurate and accessible to the public. While the raw counts show the volume of visas issued, the implications for work authorization, asylum considerations, and national policy require careful context. Analysts and policymakers must consider factors such as bilateral agreements, visa categories, and the administrative steps involved in processing applications. The aim remains to inform citizens with credible data and to resist conflating distinct visa types with other kinds of immigration measures.
The reporting on these figures has involved multiple outlets and government channels. Proponents of greater transparency emphasize that official portals provide the authoritative source of information, and they encourage readers to consult those records directly. Critics, meanwhile, call for more rigorous verification and a cautious interpretation of numbers to avoid oversimplified conclusions about migration and labor markets. This ongoing conversation illustrates the evolving nature of public data about visas and the role of government in presenting it in a clear, accountable manner. (Source: wPolityce)