The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, has shared that the country has significantly reduced access to the Polish visa.
According to Mościcka-Dendys, the country has cut the issuance of some visa categories by 30 per cent and of some others by as much as 90 per cent, but did not disclose which applicants are the most affected, Schengen.News reports.
When it comes to visas, we have a decrease in some categories by 30 per cent, and in others by as much as 90 per cent.
At the same time, the deputy minister explained that the main reason behind the reduction of visa issuance is to prevent the abuse of the document.
She suggested that Poland had been offering the easiest access to the bloc. However, this “easy access” started to be abused, and more migrants were reaching the country irregularly, thus pushing the country to take measures and tighten the visa issuance rules.
We have significantly reduced free access to a Polish visa and thus the possibility of abusing it for various purposes. Before 2023, a Polish visa was the easiest way to legalise your stay in the European Union.
Poland Working Intensively to Reduce Irregular Migration
Poland is one of the EU member states that has been registering a large number of migrants despite having taken a number of measures to deal with this matter.
Since the situation continues to remain concerning, Mościcka-Dendys disclosed that for a year and a half, the Polish government has been working intensively to create a migration policy that would help the country to have better controls on individuals who enter its territory and ultimately reduce migration pressure at its borders.
While the Polish authorities continue to work on measures to deal even more effectively with irregular migration, the country has already approved new changes to visa rules for international students.
Last week, the Polish Senate passed a law to tighten visa rules for foreign students who want to pursue their studies in one of Poland’s universities.
Under the new rules, international students applying for a Polish visa for study purposes will have to prove at least B2-level proficiency of the language in which their programme will be delivered.
A number of other measures will also be tightened to ensure that students are not using this path to irregularly reach the bloc and that universities are not admitting ineligible students in exchange for money.