New data released on October 23 2025 by the Office for Foreigners (UdSC) show that 11,194 individuals applied for international protection in Poland between January and September, a nine-percent drop year-on-year. Ukrainians accounted for 6,200 filings, followed by Belarusians (2,300) and Russians (500). Applications from Afghanistan and Tajikistan each stood at about 200.
The overall fall reflects the emergency law that temporarily restricts lodging asylum requests at the Belarus border, in force since March 27 2025. UdSC spokesman Jakub Dudziak noted that filings at border-guard posts in Podlaskie have collapsed, while numbers at inland offices have risen.
For employers, the figures highlight Poland’s twin reality: it remains a major destination for Ukrainian war-displaced persons and Belarusian dissidents but is actively discouraging transit migrants from further afield. Human-resources teams moving Ukrainian staff into Poland should remind them that temporary-protection status remains available and that a full asylum claim may not be necessary.
NGOs point out that the backlog of asylum adjudications still exceeds 25,000 cases, meaning applicants can wait up to 15 months for a final decision—an administrative burden for companies hiring under tolerated-stay permits.
The statistics will feed into parliamentary debate over Poland’s draft Migration Strategy 2025-2030, expected to introduce stricter identity-verification rules and faster refusals for manifestly unfounded claims, potentially speeding decisions but also raising compliance stakes for sponsors.
The overall fall reflects the emergency law that temporarily restricts lodging asylum requests at the Belarus border, in force since March 27 2025. UdSC spokesman Jakub Dudziak noted that filings at border-guard posts in Podlaskie have collapsed, while numbers at inland offices have risen.
For employers, the figures highlight Poland’s twin reality: it remains a major destination for Ukrainian war-displaced persons and Belarusian dissidents but is actively discouraging transit migrants from further afield. Human-resources teams moving Ukrainian staff into Poland should remind them that temporary-protection status remains available and that a full asylum claim may not be necessary.
NGOs point out that the backlog of asylum adjudications still exceeds 25,000 cases, meaning applicants can wait up to 15 months for a final decision—an administrative burden for companies hiring under tolerated-stay permits.
The statistics will feed into parliamentary debate over Poland’s draft Migration Strategy 2025-2030, expected to introduce stricter identity-verification rules and faster refusals for manifestly unfounded claims, potentially speeding decisions but also raising compliance stakes for sponsors.
