Prosecutors in Poland have charged a group of 12 people in relation to over 1,000 false documents issued by three private universities that were used to help people from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe obtain entry to the EU as well as legal residence – and in some cases Polish citizenship .

On Wednesday, the border guard announced that it had broken up the gang allegedly behind the false documents and had worked with prosecutors to charge 12 individuals. The group is made up of Polish and Ukrainian citizens, with their ringleader named as Radosław Z. under Polish privacy law.

The three universities in question are accused of issuing documents, including certificates of acceptance for foreigners, despite lacking the necessary accreditation from the interior ministry. They reportedly charged between 500 zloty (€117) and 6,000 zloty (€1,400) for such certificates.

The documents were obtained by nationals of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, Somalia, Ghana, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Colombia and Guatemala.

Prosecutors said the papers were used by some Ukrainians during the pandemic to enter Poland despite travel restrictions and, later, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, by men of conscription age to flee the country. Others used fake certificates to seek residence permits or even citizenship.

“In some cases, foreigners did indeed obtain Polish citizenship using such certificates,” say the prosecutors, who are reviewing citizenship and residence decisions granted on the basis of the falsified documents.

The 12 people are charged with participating in an organised criminal group, facilitating illegal residence in Poland, forging documents, and laundering large sums of money in collusion with others. The offences carry prison sentences of up to eight years for the first three charges and up to ten years for money laundering.

The Gazeta Wyborcza daily reports unofficially that Radosław Z. was the vice-rector of the University of International and Regional Cooperation (WSWMiR) in the town of Wołomin. The newspaper notes that the authorities have been investigating the alleged crimes since 2022.

Poland’s current government, which came to power in December 2023, has accused its predecessor of overseeing failings and corruption in the immigration system that may have allowed hundreds of thousands of people to enter Poland without proper vetting.

The number of foreign students in Poland has surged in recent years, exceeding 100,000 in 2023, or around 9% of all students. Officials say some foreigners have used student status as a route to work or migrate within the EU.

As part of a tougher new migration strategy, the government has introduced stricter rules for foreign students, resulting in a large drop in the number of visas issued.

Under the new rules, universities must verify applicants’ credentials and language skills, and the National Agency for Academic Exchange will confirm school qualifications. Foreign students can now make up no more than half of a university’s enrolment, and consulates must be notified if a student fails to start studies.