Germany-Poland migration scandal
Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz (photo: Getty Images)
A scandal has erupted between Germany and Poland over the illegal issuance of hundreds of thousands of work visas to migrants. In response to this, Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, has threatened to reintroduce border controls between the countries, reports Bloomberg.
"The visa scandal which is happening in Poland needs an investigation. I don’t want Poland just to wave through migrabts," he stated.
The Chancellor added that he would discuss this issue with the Polish government and raised the possibility of introducing border controls with Poland and other neighboring countries.
Germany's Minister of Interior, Nancy Faeser, has stated that temporary measures may be introduced at the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.
Both Scholz and Faeser had previously opposed calls for border controls, and these comments indicate that the government is reacting to an increase in the number of illegal migrants.
According to the government, during the first eight months of this year, more than 204,000 refugees sought asylum, a 77% increase compared to the same period in 2022. According to the German police, more than 12,000 illegal migrants were detained at the border with Poland in the first half of this year.
The European Union is also investigating reports that migrants entered Poland with fraudulently obtained work visas for which officials allegedly received bribes. Poland's right-wing government has long criticized Germany's immigration policy.
