Rzeczpospolita said the Office for Foreigners’ figures put this year’s total of “undesirable” individuals at roughly double 2021 and slightly above last year.
Spokesman Jakub Dudziak named the largest groups as citizens of Ukraine (5,900), Georgia (4,200), Syria (2,500), Afghanistan (2,400), Belarus (2,200) and Russia (1,900).
He attributed the steady increase to a shift in the approach of the Interior Ministry (MSWiA), police and border guard.
The paper noted that grounds for ordering a return decision and an entry ban are set by the foreigners act and include illegal entry, lack of a valid visa, a Schengen-wide ban recorded in the SIS database, or illegal employment.
The list also covers people convicted of intentional crimes, those sanctioned by Poland or internationally over Russia’s war against Ukraine, and individuals deemed dangerous or suspect by security services.
Any Polish service may request an entry on the list, with bans ranging from six months to 10 years.
“In the past, these foreigners violated the law, but no one consistently handled their status or deportations. Now, the government’s policy has changed—rightly in my view. Guests must respect legal norms; if they don’t, they should be sent back,” former deputy interior minister Adam Rapacki told the daily.
Citing last week’s Interior Ministry data and border guard figures, Rzeczpospolita said 1,100 people have been expelled since January—more than in previous years—yet far fewer than the 31,000 currently classified as “undesirable.”
(jh)
Source: PAP, Rzeczpospolita