The Podlaskie Voivodeship Office is seeking solutions to speed up the legalization processes for Belarusian citizens. The office said this in a response to a letter from Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet Pavel Latushka.
In his appeal, Latushka pointed to alarming signals from Belarusians regarding a significant slowdown in the legalization of residence in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. According to data as of the end of January 2026, the number of decisions granting legal residence in the voivodeship has sharply declined. While Belarusians received around 6,300 residence permits in Białystok in 2023, fewer than 2,000 were issued in 2025. By the end of 2025, the office was processing applications submitted back in February 2025, and the waiting time for fingerprint appointments exceeded one year.
“For many Belarusian citizens who are fleeing repression and seeking safe refuge in Poland, such prolonged legal uncertainty is an enormous burden on their lives,” Latushka noted in his appeal.
He also submitted to the Podlaskie voivode a petition signed by more than 550 people expressing deep concern over the crisis in the provision of services to foreign nationals.
In its response, the Podlaskie Voivodeship Office noted that the problems arose because the number of submitted applications has increased significantly in recent years.
“We are making efforts to ensure that all cases are handled diligently and in accordance with applicable regulations, while at the same time seeking solutions to improve the work of our services,” the response said.
Latushka said he would continue communication with Poland’s central and local authorities in order to achieve solutions to the problems faced by Belarusians in Poland.