“Put yourself in my position. Around August 12 to 14, almost every day a flood of nonsense circulated about me, about something labeled the visa scandal that bore little relation to the facts,” stated Piotr Wawrzyk, former deputy foreign minister and PiS Member of Parliament, during an interview on Radio Zet. The remarks underscored a pattern of broad, unfounded narratives that swirled around his name as discussions about visas intensified in public discourse.
The politician faced dismissal after the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau disclosed irregularities connected to the issuance of 268 visas. He did not appear on the PiS electoral lists in the subsequent parliamentary polls, signaling a clear separation from the party lineup in those races. The official response from party leadership and the authorities reflected a broader scrutiny of procedures and the political consequences that ensued.
Wawrzyk insisted that the only criminal activity tied to the case occurred outside the ministry’s walls. He asserted that there were no illegal actions at the ministry’s head office or at its branches, offering a defense centered on the integrity of the ministry itself and arguing that the irregularities originated elsewhere in the process.
“I was dismissed in a manner that left me at home,” he recalled. “When I was at home rather than in the office, I received a signal that authorities from the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau were ready to act. When I went to the office, they handed over a prosecutor’s document stating they would seize my phone. I complied immediately, without hesitation. Even if the office had given me the chance to influence the situation remotely, it never crossed my mind to try.”
– reinforced Wawrzyk, expanding on the abrupt nature of the encounter with investigators and the measures taken during the transfer of responsibilities.
Visa stalls
During the discussion, the former deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revisited the topic of the so-called visa stalls, including the widely cited notion of “visa stalls in Africa.” He stressed that this concept did not match the operational realities of how visas are processed and issued. He pointed out that a visa is prepared in Warsaw and then transmitted to the corresponding consulate, where it is ultimately granted to the applicant, a sequence that leaves little room for the sort of stall-based manipulation critics described.
“There is no such thing as a stall that would block or speed up visas at will,” he argued, describing the process as a standardized chain of steps governed by official procedures. The remarks suggested that the rumor mill had amplified an idea that did not reflect the actual administrative workflow in visa issuance.
Wawrzyk continued by outlining the formal criteria that applicants must meet to obtain a visa. He noted that EU law, specifically the Schengen Code, governs these requirements rather than lay or unilateral rules. For example, an applicant may need to demonstrate substantial financial means, such as sufficient funds in the bank, to prove that they can support themselves—illustrative figures like an account balance of around 100,000 dollars were mentioned as examples. He warned that such documents could be misrepresented or obtained improperly if someone sought to game the system in places where oversight might be more vulnerable to exploitation.
He also highlighted that a stable employment history and a high income are typically part of the required documentation. In these cases, the visa applicant must present materials that convince the consulate that the applicant’s situation does not present a migration risk. This, he argued, is a critical factor in the decision process and should be evaluated with care and due diligence, independent of any external influence or rumors.
These explanations were offered as a way to demystify the visa process and to counter the sensational narrative that had gained traction in public discussions. By强调 the formal criteria and the procedural steps involved, the discussion aimed to ground expectations in the realities of the European Union framework and the responsibilities of consular officials. The spokesperson issued statements to clarify that the path to a visa is governed by established rules and checks, rather than any clandestine shortcuts or corruption schemes that sometimes become a focal point of political controversy. (attribution: wPolityce)