Poland: new law will help foreigners,'' illegals'' out of hiding

01.03.2012

Poland: new law will help foreigners,'' illegals'' out of hiding

On January 1, 2012 in Poland comes into force the amnesty law, which aims - to legalize the approximately 500,000 foreigners living illegally in the country. Immigration Service has started raising campaign.
Illegals are reluctant to show their faces
Problems with illegal immigrants in Poland emerged after its entry into the EU in 2004. As a member of the EU, Poland has become even more attractive for residents of neighboring countries - Belarus and Ukraine. Many in Poland and the natives of Chechnya, as well as migrants from Armenia and Vietnam. Most foreigners have applied for political asylum, but refused, remained in the country illegally. According to various estimates, in Poland there are about 500,000 illegal immigrants.
The new law on amnesty - the third: the first was adopted in 2003, the second - in 2007. The law, which will come into force on 1 January 2012, simplifies the process of "out of the underground" for hundreds of thousands of foreigners. Until now, for the legalization of their own in-country migrants residing illegally in Poland, had to confirm the fact of being there for over 10 years. In addition, it was necessary to produce a certificate confirming the right to work, as well as the lease of housing. Now need to provide these documents no longer needed.
Under the new law, a foreigner, who arrived in Poland, has six months to apply for a temporary or permanent residence. Even if the illegal immigrant previously been refused refugee status, and officials made the decision to expel him, he has a chance at legalization. To do this he will need to show that from January 1, 2010, he was constantly on the territory of Poland. Those foreigners, who in this period at least once visited the country, deprived of the right to pardon. All migrants who fulfill the new requirements will be granted permission to live and work in Poland for two years, with further extension.
Public consensus has been reached
The amnesty law was signed on August 26, 2011 the President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski. He has previously advocated the liberalization of immigration policy. "Poland has become an open, hospitable and friendly country for all who seek a better life for us", - said Komorowski.
During the debate in the Polish Sejm all parliamentary factions supported the new bill. "The current legalization comes primarily from the needs of society. This is our response to the repeated demands of the Polish non-governmental organizations and parliamentary circles, "- said Danuta Rutkowska from the ruling party" Civic Platform ".
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"Unlike the previous two, the current law does not provide evidence of tenancy and documents confirming the right to work. This should eliminate the registration of such certificates by fraud "- said Christine Lybatska of the Democratic Left Alliance.
Many of those who wish to legalize their stay in Poland - people with higher education. "The amnesty law will help them and their families to establish a normal life," - said the representative of the Polish Peasant Party Andrzej Storz. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland, the previous two amnesty laws have used only five and a half thousand illegal migrants, which is about one percent of the total number of illegal immigrants living in the country.
The Polish foreign office hopes that the new law will help "out of hiding," a much larger number of migrants residing illegally in the territory of Poland. The country has launched awareness campaign in English, Russian and Vietnamese. In the near future and will be a special page on the Internet.

Dagmar Yakupchak / Victor Weitz
Edited by Gleb Gavrik