A number of Polish Universities are facing allegations of improperly verifying the eligibility of international students, entwining them in a visa scandal. Tens of thousands of students from nations like Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Turkey enrol in Polish colleges primarily to gain visas, according to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna (DGP). After their first year, a large number of these students decide to forgo their education and stay in the Schengen Area illegally.
Although students are partially to blame, Polish institutions have been identified as the primary offenders in this scam. According to DGP, some universities rely heavily on international students for funding, which causes them to neglect conducting appropriate qualification checks.
By virtue of this procedure, foreign students who pay the enrollment fees might be admitted and granted visas that allow them to reside and work in Poland. The main worry is that these students choose to remain in Poland or other Schengen nations illegally after their visas expire rather than going back home.
How many Polish Universities are Under Investigation?
Three private Polish universities are currently being investigated as a result of the scandal. Experts are demanding swift changes to resolve these problems, including extra oversight of all colleges accepting international students by the Polish Accreditation Committee.
According to data, a year of English studies at a Polish institution comes out to roughly €3,100. Furthermore, the University of Management and Administration in Opole has about 61% foreign students as students, which suggests that colleges are taking in unfit foreign applicants in order to increase their revenue.
An interministerial working group has been established by the Ministry of Interior and Administration to address the anomalies in the visa system. Additionally, Poland opened an investigation into a few IT firms that were planning to bring in foreign workers on work visas, but found differences between the number of visas issued and the actual number of foreign workers that entered the nation.
