The series of refusals of residence permits for Russian citizens on grounds of state security protection

During the past few months, Russian citizens are receiving significantly more decisions to refuse residence permits in Poland. Such decisions point to the need to protect state security as the reason.

The basis for the negative decisions, in turn, are to be unfavourable opinions of the Internal Security Agency (ABW). However, the information contained in such opinions is not public. Thus, the recipients of such decisions cannot learn the real motives for the negative assessment of the ABW and the immigration authorities themselves.

We can only assume that the series of refusals of residence permits to Russian citizens may be of political nature. It can be related to the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine and the rightful course taken by Poland in supporting Ukraine and its people.

However, many Russian citizens strongly disagree with the negative assessment of Polish authorities. This is because such situations also happen to people who have resided in Poland for many years, have never before, in the opinion of the same authorities, posed a threat to state security, engaged in helping Ukrainians after the outbreak of the war and cannot imagine living in or returning to authoritarian, Putin’s Russia. Refusal decisions, however, may leave them with no other choice.

Is it worth then to appeal against negative decisions, even if the real reasons for refusing a residence permit are not known? We believe it is! The immigration authorities cannot base their decisions solely on the opinions of the ABW. Especially if such opinions do not include an individual assessment of the applicant’s situation. The correctness of the assessment of the ABW and the immigration authorities themselves, in turn, is subject to the audit of the appeal body and – if needed – of the court’s. It is worth appealing, it is worth complaining about such decisions!