Speaking at a Social Democratic Party campaign event in Nuremberg, Germany, on September 23, Prime Minister Scholz called on the Polish government to clarify allegations about a cash-for-visa deal for migrants that has shaken Polish politics, amid a heated debate on immigration in Germany.
"The visa scandal that is going on in Poland needs to be clarified... I don't want people from Poland to simply be waved through," Reuters quoted Mr. Scholz as saying.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
The German chancellor also hinted that the country could increase border controls with Poland. "Depending on the situation, we may have to take additional measures at our borders, for example at that border (with Poland)," Mr Scholz said.
Both countries are members of the visa-free travel agreement in Europe, the Schengen area.
Scholz’s comments reinforced a tough response from Poland’s powerful western neighbor over the visa scandal. Just days ago, sources said Germany had summoned the Polish ambassador to Berlin, while German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser spoke to her Polish counterpart about the issue.
The German chancellor's warning raises the risk of border disruption between the two European Union (EU) economies , as well as posing further challenges for the government in Warsaw, as Poland heads towards parliamentary elections on October 15.
Mr Scholz and Ms Faeser have previously resisted calls for border controls, and the chancellor’s latest comments underscore the growing pressure on the German government to deal with the rising number of undocumented migrants.
Polish media reported that the cash-for-visa scandal involved allowing more than 250,000 citizens of African and Asian countries to work in Poland over the past two and a half years.
The Polish Foreign Ministry rejected the figure, saying it was investigating only 268 visa applications. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has asked Warsaw to provide “clear explanations” by 3 October.
More than 204,000 people had registered as asylum seekers in Germany through August, up 77% from the same period last year, according to government data. Meanwhile, more than 12,000 undocumented migrants were detained at the border with Poland in the first half of this year, according to German police.
Poland's right-wing government has long been critical of Germany's liberal approach to immigration and opposes the adoption of an EU-wide asylum policy.
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