The right to citizenship is a commitment to the national community, not a reward — emphasize politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS). The party has submitted a draft law extending the period required to obtain citizenship to ten years.
Citizenship Is a Commitment
At a press conference held Monday in Lublin, the chairman of the PiS Parliamentary Club, Mariusz Błaszczak, announced the submission of a draft bill amending the rules for granting citizenship. Instead of the current three years, foreigners will be required to reside legally in Poland for ten years before applying for citizenship.
“Today we are submitting a bill to amend the Polish Citizenship Act, extending the period for obtaining citizenship from 3 to 10 years. This is our response to the threats Poland is currently facing,”
stated Mariusz Błaszczak.
According to PiS politicians, the amendment is necessary in light of rising crime and threats associated with uncontrolled migration. Błaszczak pointed out that illegal migrants should be strictly deported, and those residing legally who break the law should also not be allowed to remain in Poland.
“Citizenship is not a gift. It is a commitment to be part of the national community,” added PiS MP Michał Moskal. He stressed that ten years is a sufficient period for a foreigner to demonstrate respect for Polish culture and values.
Opposition politicians recalled that similar regulations are in place in many European Union countries, including Italy and Austria. They announced that they would request the Sejm to consider the bill at its next session. This initiative comes in response to alarming data from Lublin — in 2024 alone, foreigners were suspected of committing as many as 470 crimes, over 75 percent of which involved Ukrainian nationals.