Poland Changes The Rules For Obtaining A "Pole Card"

What should Belarusians expect?

The Polish Foreign Ministry is working on changing the rules for issuing a "Pole card," said the head of the ministry Radoslaw Sikorski, "Pozirk" reports.

In social network X, the foreign minister responded to a corresponding question from Sejm deputy from the conservative coalition "Confederation" Przemyslaw Wipler.

Sikorski said the current rules for issuing the document are a "real problem". "We will eliminate the pathologies inherited [from the previous government] in migration policy," the foreign minister said.

On April 3, 2025, it was reported that Poland will revise the provisions of the September 7, 2007 law on the "Pole Card" to eliminate "cases of abuse" related to, among other things, "the use by applicants of forged documents proving Polish origin." This is stipulated in the strategy for cooperation with the Polish diaspora and Poles abroad until 2030, adopted by the country's government.

"Since in recent years the 'Pole card' has contributed significantly to legal migration to Poland, the changes should include, in particular, the abolition of provisions on the criterion of activity in Polish public organizations in favor of knowledge of the Polish language and Polish culture," the document says. It is proposed to "tighten the system of issuing the above-mentioned documents".

In addition, the strategy provides for an analysis of "the scope and procedure of providing support addressed to the holders of the 'Pole card' residing in the Republic of Poland".

In December last year, Rzeczpospolita reported on the forthcoming tightening of the rules for issuing "Pole cards" and cited statistics on their issuance (without a breakdown by country). Over 9.2 thousand of more than 15 thousand documents were issued by Polish consulates in the year 2024.

Citing information from the Polish Foreign Ministry, the media reported that from the beginning of the law on issuing "Pole cards" (adopted in September 2007) until October 15, 2024, 1.830 such documents were canceled.

It was specified that four people had their status revoked for "behavior that discredits Poland or Poles", 157 for using false documents or "for security reasons, actions against Polish sovereignty or involvement in human rights violations", another 145 foreigners refused the card, and in 1.524 cases were issued a new "Pole card" with changed data.

In addition, 7,310 cards were canceled due to their holders obtaining Polish citizenship or permanent residence permit.

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