EU asks Poland about visa issuance irregularities
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ilva Johansson has sent a letter to the Polish authorities asking to explain alleged irregularities in the granting of Polish work visas.
The incumbent Polish government is currently battling a slew of allegations that thousands of visas were issued by Polish consulates in return for bribes.
The allegations, first made in the press, have been seized upon by the opposition, which has used them to accuse a government that has made being tough on immigration a core policy of having double standards.
On Wednesday, Anitta Hipper, spokeswoman for the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that Poland was given until October 3 to reply to Johansson's letter.
Hipper said that the EU has been following very closely the latest media reports on the alleged cases of fraud and corruption in Poland's visa issuance.
She added the allegations were very disturbing, raised questions about compliance with EU law and that the EC hoped Poland would provide the necessary information and investigate the relevant cases.
On Friday, the National Prosecutor's Office said that the investigation into the scandal concerned 268 granted applications for accelerated issuance, a number fiercely disputed by opposition parties, who claim the scandal could have concerned up to 300,000 applications.
