In Warsaw, migrants held a rally — demanding faster document issuance. Some wait for residence permits for two years
In Warsaw, more than 200 migrants from various countries gathered in front of the provincial administration building. They demand that the Polish authorities process applications faster.
Rally in front of the Masovian Voivodeship Office building. Photo: Nasha Niva
The rally was organized by Uladzimir Miadzvedzeu — a Belarusian IT specialist living in Warsaw. The majority of participants were Belarusians and Ukrainians, but migrants from other countries also joined the action.
Uladzimir Miadzvedzeu and activists with a poster "We pay taxes, we wait for years"
Among the protesters was Ngo Van Tuong, an entrepreneur from Vietnam who has a business in the Polish capital. He came to support his employees who have been waiting for two to three years for a work residence permit. According to him, migrants should not be afraid to talk to the government about their problems.
Warsaw entrepreneur from Vietnam Ngo Van Tuong
Belarusians who came to the rally also talk about long waits — from six months to a year, and even more. Belarusians also wait a long time for a Polish passport.
"We want our cases to be processed faster by the offices, because it's unbearable to wait so long, without the possibility of leaving, without what the state owes us in exchange for our taxes. They told me - by law we should review the entire package of documents within three months, but here's a piece of paper, we'll review them in two years - wait."
Not only migrants, but also Polish citizens joined the rally. They say that problems with documents for migrants are also a problem for Poland itself.
Poles came out to support migrants. Text on the poster: "In a rule of law state, there is no place for bureaucratic indifference."
"It's a disgrace that this is happening, that's why we, Poles, must protest against it, and not just the poor people who are forced to wait," shared one of the Polish citizens who came to support the protesters.
The main goal of the protesters is to draw attention to the long processing times for cases related to work and life in Poland. A month ago, a solo picket by a migrant from Egypt already attracted the attention of Polish authorities — after three years of waiting, his case was reviewed within two weeks.