The Interior Ministry has prepared first proposals for questions for a civics-style exam that applicants would need to pass, Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk said during the debate “Challenges and directions of change in citizenship and repatriation.”
“We must check their level of integration, knowledge of customs and values, and what Poles live by, so that integration is truly effective,” he said. He added that “Polish citizenship is an honor […] and obligations,” and that those obligations should be clearly defined for people who have lived in Poland for many years and tie their future to the country.
Duszczyk said the government proposes four criteria for applicants: an eight-year period of continuous residence in Poland, tax residency in Poland during that time, passing a citizenship test, and signing an act of loyalty to Poland.
He emphasized that Poland “remains tolerant and open,” noting no new limits on the right to stay.
“A foreigner has the right to work in Poland, go to school and pay taxes. If they want to become a Polish citizen and acquire all related duties and privileges, we must check whether their stay has led to integration with Polish society,” he said.
Poland aims to learn from countries that have introduced integration checks, Duszczyk added, saying those states concluded that not only time spent in the country matters but also integration.
Separately, a presidential bill to amend the citizenship law proposes extending the minimum uninterrupted stay required for applying for Polish citizenship from three to ten years.
(jh)
Source: PAP, Polskie Radio 24