Today, foreigners gathered in front of the Mazovian Voivodeship Office in Warsaw to protest the many-month, and in some cases multi-year, waiting times for decisions on the legalization of residence.
“We pay taxes, we wait for years.” Foreigners in Warsaw protest lengthy procedures
Slogans appeared on banners: “We pay taxes, we wait for years” and “392 days without a decision”.
The protest was organized by the Migrant’s Voice initiative. Participants are calling above all for the repeal of Article 100d of the special act and the restoration of statutory deadlines for handling residence-legalization cases. (glos-migranta.eu)
Organizers’ statement before the protest
Before the assembly began, the organizers published a detailed statement on the rules for taking part in the protest. They emphasized that the assembly was notified under the simplified procedure in accordance with the Law on Assemblies, and that its topic is to concern exclusively the excessive length of residence-legalization proceedings.
The protesters’ main demands are the repeal of Article 100d, the restoration of effective mechanisms for enforcing procedural deadlines, increasing the number of staff in departments dealing with foreigners’ cases, and publishing data on the number of cases being handled and the actual waiting times for decisions.
The organizers asked participants not to bring any national flags. As they explained, the protest is not meant to be a demonstration of individual diasporas, but a joint action by foreigners waiting for their cases to be processed. Posters are to be prepared in Polish and refer exclusively to the issue of residence legalization and the excessive length of proceedings.
The statement also noted that slogans concerning wars, elections, the political situation in the participants’ countries of origin, or other geopolitical issues will not be accepted during the assembly.
The organizers appealed for compliance with the instructions of security services and the police, and reminded participants of the ban on possessing weapons and pyrotechnic materials, blocking the roadway and entrances to buildings, and consuming alcohol. People who violate the rules may be asked to leave the assembly, and in the event of refusal, the organizer may request assistance from the police.
“We have one very specific issue”
“We have one very specific issue” – the organizers emphasize, indicating that the aim of the protest is to draw attention to the waiting time foreigners face for administrative decisions.
According to data cited by the organizers, the statutory deadline for issuing decisions in some cases is 60 days, while the average waiting time is said to be around 341 days. More than 463 thousand cases concerning temporary stay and work are currently said to be awaiting decisions by voivodes. (glos-migranta.eu)
The assembly is taking place today, 24 August, at Bank Square in Warsaw and was previously registered as a legal public assembly. (glos-migranta.eu)
Source: Nowiny Wschodnie / photo: protest participants / social media
