In Poland, it is proposed to significantly change the rules for obtaining citizenship and residence for foreigners. The new bill has already been submitted for public discussion, and it envisages a significant tightening of requirements. This is reported by inPoland.
Polish citizenship: what new requirements are proposed
The initiative belongs to the deputies of the Law and Justice party. The document stipulates that foreigners will only be able to apply for Polish citizenship after 10 years of continuous legal residence instead of the current three.
In addition, they plan to strengthen the integration conditions:
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knowledge of the Polish language at C1 level
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mandatory state exam on the history and structure of the country
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increased waiting times for certain categories of applicants.
For spouses of Polish citizens, separate rules are envisaged:
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at least 5 years of residence in the country
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at least 6 years of marriage.
Residence permits in Poland: reasons for deporting foreigners
A separate block of changes concerns strengthening responsibility. The bill provides for the possibility of deportation of foreigners in case of repeated violations.
These cases include:
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two intentional administrative offenses within 24 months
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violations must be confirmed by the court.
Examples of violations include:
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speeding
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improper parking
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fare evasion
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petty thefts.
At the same time, the authors propose that filing an appeal against a deportation decision should not suspend its enforcement.
The bill is currently under discussion until May 20. After that, it will be decided whether to submit it for consideration to the Polish Sejm. The further fate of the initiative will depend on the support of deputies.
It is worth noting that Portugal is also preparing to complicate the citizenship acquisition procedure by increasing the mandatory residence period to 10 years.