Poland issues 15,000 Pole’s Cards before approving stricter criteria 

December 18, Pozirk. Polish authorities approved more than 15,000 Pole’s Card (Karta Polaka) applications this year ahead of the announced tightening of regulations for its issue, Rzeczpospolita reported.

The card confirms belonging to the Polish nation and gives its holders the right to study, work and do business in Poland. The program remains popular among Belarusians.

Polish consulates approved some 9,200 applications, with the rest greenlighted by Poland’s Podlaskie and Lublin voivodeships.

Polish authorities have issued more than 206,000 Pole’s Cards since the program launch in 2007. Of these, only 1,830 were annulled, the report said, citing Polish foreign ministry’s statistics.

A few weeks ago, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced changes to the law governing the Pole’s Card program, including new criteria for the card’s issue. The official cited security reasons for the amendments to ensure that the Pole’s Card does not become a loophole in migration procedures.

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