Poland’s Public Administration Struggles to Manage Mass Immigration, State Audit Office Finds
Poland’s state audit office has raised concerns over the public administration’s ability to handle the recent surge in immigration due to inadequate staffing levels. According to the audit report, the failure to sufficiently increase staff has left the administration “unable to cope” with the influx of immigrants.
The report reveals that the processing time for residence permit applications has significantly increased, with an average waiting period of one year. Shockingly, the audit found cases where individuals waited over seven years for a decision on their applications.
Over the past six years, Poland has issued the highest number of first residence permits to non-EU immigrants within the European Union. This influx has overwhelmed administrative offices across the country, particularly those responsible for registering foreign residents in each of Poland’s 16 provinces.
The situation has been exacerbated by the arrival of Ukrainian refugees since 2022. The audit examined 231 cases of handling foreigners’ affairs in five provincial offices, finding irregularities in 60% of cases, primarily due to excessive processing times.
In one instance, the average processing time for residence applications in Silesia province reached 381 days in 2021, with one individual’s application taking nearly seven years and five months to process.
The prolonged processing times create uncertainty for both immigrants awaiting decisions and the state itself. It also presents challenges for employers seeking to hire and retain foreign workers.
Despite efforts to increase staffing levels, the audit noted that the rise in applications far outpaced staff increases. Recommendations from the audit include ensuring adequate staffing levels to meet the increased demand for processing foreigners’ applications.