BERLIN: Germany and the European Union on Wednesday urged the Polish government to address “serious” allegations of visa scandal that have the potential to affect neighboring countries within the bloc.
Reports in Polish media suggest that a system for issuing Schengen visas to individuals from the Middle East and Africa in exchange for bribes was established through Polish consulates and certain external companies operating in the affected countries.
Amid increasing tensions within the EU related to migration, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had a conversation with her Polish counterpart, Mariusz Kaminski, on Tuesday. Additionally, Faeser’s ministry requested that Warsaw’s representative in Berlin provide information on the matter.
During these discussions, Berlin called on Warsaw to promptly and comprehensively address the “serious” allegations.
EU Gives Poland Two Weeks for Visa Scandal Explanation
The European Commission has given Warsaw a two-week deadline to provide “clarifications” regarding the accusations, labeling the reports as “very concerning.”
Berlin’s inquiries have elicited a strong response from Kaminski, who vehemently rejected the “absurd” claims concerning the scale of the situation.
Kaminski told Poland’s Radio Zet, “Unfortunately, the German press has embraced the entirely baseless narrative of the opposition regarding the extent of the issue. I spoke with the German interior minister yesterday and clarified the actual scope.”
Authorities in Warsaw suggest that the scheme may have involved several hundred Polish work visas, while the Polish opposition contends that the true number could be approximately 250,000.
