Poland Grants Record Citizenship Numbers in 2025 Amid Push for Stricter Rules

In 2025, Poland granted citizenship to a record 19,135 foreigners, representing a 17% increase from the previous year and nearly five times the figure from a decade ago. Ukrainians constituted the largest group of new citizens, accounting for over half of the recipients with 10,295 individuals, followed by Belarusians, Russians, Vietnamese, and Turks. This surge occurs against a backdrop of unprecedented immigration levels in Poland over the last decade. Despite the rising numbers, the Polish government is actively working on legislation to tighten citizenship requirements. Proposed measures include increasing the minimum residency period from three to eight years, mandating integration tests, and requiring loyalty declarations. These changes aim to apply to both standard administrative applications and discretionary grants by the president. Political opposition, including the far-right Confederation party and the national-conservative Law and Justice party, has criticized the current liberal criteria, labeling the statistics as dangerous and urging even stricter reforms, such as ten-year residency requirements. However, previous legislative attempts to impose harsher rules have been rejected by parliament, and the government's new proposals remain under development.