Europe

Europe

Poland’s president signs illegal alien abolition bill into law

26 August 2011 19:31 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA.Poland’s President Bronislaw Komorowski on Friday signed a bill foreseeing abolition for illegally-resident foreigners in Poland, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The abolition law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012. The law will embrace all aliens permanently residing in Poland since Dec. 20, 2007.

Under the new law, rejected asylum-seekers remaining in Poland over the expiry of their residence permits will receive residence rights provided they prove their unbroken presence in Poland at least since Jan. 1, 2010. They will be able to apply for the legalisation of their stay during the first six months of 2012.

According to the bill authors, this time more illegal aliens will resort to the abolition laws than in the case of earlier abolitions in 2003 and 2007, when in all 4,500 foreigners legalized their stay.

The Internal Affairs Ministry estimates that more then 10,000 foreigners will take advantage of the abolition law.

According to the Office for Foreigners, there are some 97,000 foreigners staying in Poland legally, while some 50,000 to 70,000 are residing illegally.