German Chancellor Olaf Scholz requested clarification from the Polish government on Saturday regarding allegations that it was receiving payments from migrants in exchange for granting them visas to enter its territory. This has angered politicians in Poland amid a heated immigration debate in Germany.
This request marks an escalation from Germany, which shares its eastern border with Poland, and comes just days after reports indicated that Berlin summoned the Polish ambassador and that German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser spoke with her Polish counterpart on this issue.
Some opposition parties have accused the Polish government this month of being involved in a system where migrants obtain visas to Poland more quickly without adhering to necessary regulations after paying money to intermediaries.
Those arriving in Poland can easily pass into other European Union countries due to open borders. The Polish government wrote to the EU security commissioner, stating that this scandal is merely an exaggerated "media fact" aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the ruling nationalists ahead of their tight re-election battle next month.
Scholz stated during an event on Saturday, "The visa scandal happening in Poland needs clarification." He hinted that Germany may take steps to control its border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has seen a significant influx of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.
