Changes to the law in Belarus have introduced a ban for local councillors wanting to apply for the Polish Card (Karta Polaka).

According to the legal changes, members of local council assemblies “cannot receive documents from other countries which give rights, concessions, and preferential treatment thanks to political and religious views or national affiliation, as well as taking advantage of the aforementioned concessions, if they have not been ratified by international agreements with the Republic of Belarus”.

Members of such assemblies who already hold such documents “are obliged to forefeit them for the period of fulfilling official duties”.

The move comes as Belarus banned soldiers and rescue workers from holding the Polish Card in June 2014, while in October 2012 members of parliament and employees of the public administration were also banned from applying for the document.

The card was initially launched by Poland’s Foreign Ministry in September 2007 and came into operation in March 2008. It is applicable to people of Polish descent living in former Soviet republics, yet who are unable to obtain dual citizenship. It provides the applicant with certain privileges in Poland, such as securing visas and work permits.

Up until 15 May 2014, Polish consulates had received around 140,000 applications for the Polish Card, with around 110,000 cards being issued.

Most of the cards were issued in Belarus (63,000), Ukraine (60,000), as well as in the Baltic States (Lithuania with 5,917 and Latvia with 1,562). In Russia, 3,665 applications were submitted, with 1,828 in Kazakhstan. (jb)

Source: PAP

