Proposals to amend the legislation on the legalization of Belarusians were put to a vote following the Polish Interior Ministry working group on Belarusians sessions, joined by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Acting Representative on Legal Affairs Kristina Rikhter and representatives of the Center for Belarusian Solidarity and the National Anti-Crisis Management.
The Sejm’s decision will allow Belarusians to:
– Obtain humanitarian visas after entering Poland. This type of visa secures access to the labor market. A separate decree will cover further regulations on the eligibility criteria, terms, and procedures for issuing these visas.
– Get temporary, 3-year humanitarian residence permits. They will be issued upon Polish humanitarian visas. This type of permit gives access to the labor market. No application or issuance fees will be charged.
– Obtain Polish travel documents based on temporary residence permits. The list of persons covered by the Polish travel document was expanded as the amendments allowed Belarusians with temporary humanitarian residence permits to receive it. The procedure will allow Belarusians whose national passports are invalid (expired, lost, damaged) to obtain travel documents and use them for foreign travel. Belarusians will be able to receive them starting January 2023 after the new type of document is finalized.
The Senate and the Polish President are expected to adopt and sign the amendments by the end of the week. The Interior Ministry working group involving the Office representatives will continue its work to help Belarusians in Poland with other significant issues.
