Poland tightens visa rules as probe confirms previous government’s cash-for-visas scandal

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is tightening its visa regulations as probes into alleged cash-for-visa scandal have confirmed irregularities under the previous right-wing government which cost the public purse millions of dollars, the foreign minister of this European Union country said Thursday.

Radek Sikorski said it will be much tougher now to obtain a visa for Poland, a document which gives access to unrestricted travel within Europe’s border-free Schengen zone, and the vetting of applicants will be stepped up. For example, student visa applications will be scrutinized to prevent situations in which they were only used as a means of getting into Europe.

On Thursday the state Supreme Audit Office released the report of its investigation into the Foreign Ministry visa department and confirmed media allegations made last year that Polish consulates in Asia and Africa took thousands of dollars for each work visa, against regulations. It said it found 46 kinds of irregularities in five different areas, including a lack of transparency, an environment prone to corruption and poor supervision by the minister at the time, Zbigniew Rau.

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One of the most egregious examples involved visas for dozens of farmers from India, who were described in their documents as Bollywood filmmakers.

The ministry lost control over the visa system, especially in the years 2018-2023, Sikorski told a news conference.

“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,” Sikorski said.

He said the ministry was contributing to the process of drawing up Poland’s new policy for curbing illegal migration, which Prime Minister Donald Tusk is to present on Saturday.

Earlier this year, Sikorski’s initial reaction to the scandal was to hike visa fees, which used to be among Europe’s cheapest and attracted migrants from Asia and Africa seeking access to Europe via Poland. The cash-for-visa system was developed under the previous government of Law and Justice, in stark contrast to its anti-migrant policies and statements.

The report released Thursday said that between 2018 and early 2024, thousands of visas were issued to people who paid hefty sums to agencies cooperating with Polish consulates.

One agency alone issued more than 4,200 visas between Jan. 1, 2018 and March 29, 2024. Some applicants paid as much as 30,000 zlotys ($7,600; euro 7,000), according to the auditors.

The audit chamber is weighing whether to take the case to prosecutors.

Based on a separate investigation by the state anti-corruption bureau, prosecutors have so far charged former deputy foreign minister, Piotr Wawrzyk, and nine other people, and are continuing their probe.

A special parliamentary commission that was formed after elections last fall is also probing the visa irregularities, and its conclusions so far have confirmed many flaws in the system.

The audit chamber said that, on the whole, between 2018 and 2023, Poland issued 6.1 million visas, including 1.2 million Schengen visas, out of 6.5 million applications. Some 3.4 million visas were granted to Ukrainian citizens, 1.6 million to Belarusians and more than 357,000 to Russia’s citizens, some after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.