"Be Legal":image - abolicja.gov.pl
Although estimates have not been given for all Polish regions, the problem is evident elsewhere too, not least in the central Masovian voivodeship, which received the most overall applications.
In the Malopolska voivoideship, 157 foreign citizens submitted applications in connection with the “Be Legal – Amnesty 2012” campaign.
The process allows foreigners who have been working illegally in Poland to legalise their stay, with the final deadline for applications falling on Monday.
Since Monday, 39 foreigners have already been given the green light to stay in Malopolska, the capital of which is Krakow, on a two year trial period.
However, Irena Janas-Slonska, deputy director of foreigners' affairs for the Malopolska voivodeship office, has indicated that not all of the applicants will be accepted.
“We suspect that many people are making use of so-called 'amnesty tourism'. From day to day, they are living illegally in other European Union countries and have come to us just to file an application,” she told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
Janas-Slonska said this group was predominantly made up of citizens from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
She stressed that if suspicions are confirmed, the applications will be rejected. The entire process is expected to take several months.
Although detailed estimates have not been released elsewhere, it is likely that similar rejections will occur across Poland.
By far the most applications for permits were in the central Masovian region, taking in 6496 of 8377 across Poland.
Most were from Vietnamese and Ukrainians, but once again, there are suspicions about invalid applications, particularly from citizens of Pakistan.
Ewa Piechota, from the Warsaw Office for Foreigners says that 150 Pakistani citizens, often not speaking a word of Polish, have already been turned down.
A positive verdict grants the applicant residency in Poland for a two-year trial period, and the freedom to work without having to obtain additional work permits. (nh)