As the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Interior and Administration of Poland, Maciej Duszczyk, revealed, the country issued only 203,810 Schengen visas to foreigners from January until the end of June 2024, EU Helpers reports.
This is a significant decrease compared to the first half of 2023, when Poland issued a total of 295,892 Schengen visas.
The 31% drop was registered for all visa categories. However, the decrease is sharper when looking at the national visa issuance rate alone.
The number of Polish national Schengen visas issued in the first half of 2024 fell by 34 per cent compared to the same period in 2023 – from 239,947 to 158,312.
Poland started to cut the number of visas granted to foreigners since the beginning of this year in an attempt to “erase” the visa scandal that was revealed and took centre stage in the country last year.
Earlier this year, a Polish Consul said that the Polish embassies abroad are issuing very few work visas. The consul revealed that they are only issuing visas to IT and other skilled workers who bring high earnings for the country and do not misuse the system.
Poland Has Tightened Student Visa Rules
In addition to tightening the work visa rules, Poland is also applying stricter rules for international students applying for student visas.
The Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced earlier this week that the country will no longer grant visas to foreign students who fail to present a high school diploma.
The decision to apply stricter rules to foreign students comes after it was found out that universities in Poland have been admitting students from third countries without properly checking if they are eligible to enroll.
Moreover, the decision is also related to the fact that a large number of students were found to enter Poland for studies and then use their visas to work in the Schengen Area.
Recent Inspection Revealed Poland Granted Visas Without Proper Supervision
A recent inspection carried out by the Poland’s Supreme Audit Office revealed that the country issued Schengen visas without proper supervision in the past.
The audit compiled a 360-page investigation and said that the findings were serious.
While the Supreme Audit Office did not share any other details on the matter, it said that it will soon hold an extensive conference during which all irregularities will be shared with the public.
