Poland to Introduce Residence Verification System in Response to Growing Migration Pressure

Poland has decided to introduce changes into its migration policy in an attempt to prevent irregular migration and stay within the country.

As part of the move, the Polish Ministry of Interior is planning to implement a residence verification system aimed at tightening residency and employment legalisation procedures, Schengen.News reports. 

The plans of Poland to make changes come amid the country dealing with growing migration challenges. 

Data show that in the last years, Poland has become one of the main destinations for foreign nationals, especially for Ukrainians. As the Ministry of Interior reveals, currently the country counts almost one million Ukrainian citizens benefiting from temporary protections. 

Moreover, figures from the Ministry show that a total of 1.55 million people hold a valid Polish residence permit. Such a high number of foreigners with residence permits, according to the Ministry, poses new challenges for the registration system, particularly when it comes to ensuring social integration and security. 

This Is What Will Change Under New Regulations 
As Kancelaria Lega Artis explains, under the new changes that are set to become effective on July 1, 2025, the Ministry aims to fully digitise the application and issuance process for work permits, this way removing the need for labour market tests. 

Moreover, under the new rules, tighter controls will be applied on educational institutions admitting foreign students.

The new measures will also allow authorities to reject work permits if there is any suspicion of fraudulent activities and to introduce mechanisms for checking the reliability of employers in an effort to prevent abuse of foreign workers. 

These Groups of People Will Be Affected by New Changes 
Under the new regulations, a number of people and institutions will be affected. The new rules will apply for employers in Poland hiring foreigners. Employers will be required to meet stricter procedures when wanting to bring foreign workers to the country, and they will also have to undergo regular inspections. 

The rules will also apply to foreign nationals applying for residence and work permits. This group of people will have to follow more strict requirements, which are yet to be shared by the Polish authorities. 

Educational institutions will also be affected by the new regulations. 

The planned changes have led to mixed reactions among different social and professional groups. The supported said that there is a need to tighten the immigration system, while critics said that they fear that the new rules may discourage qualified workers from reaching Poland.

Source: https://schengen.news/poland-to-introduce-residence-verification-system-in-response-to-growing-migration-pressure/