Polish Prosecutors Reopen Ghost School Fraud Case After Media Report

Investigations in Poland have uncovered a network of so‑called “ghost schools” that enrol foreign nationals on paper and issue falsified student certificates, allowing employers to bypass labour regulations. One victim, Maria, a Colombian worker in a Polish meat plant, received fabricated university documents and a student ID despite never having applied for studies. The documents were traced to a fake university on Warsaw’s Bemowo district and an adult‑education high school in Sieradz, both of which could not produce any staff or students.

Initially, the Przemyśl District Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the case, citing no criminal act. After a detailed report by Onet highlighted the scheme, prosecutors reversed their decision and reopened the investigation, now examining potential large‑scale losses of public funds and violations of immigration law.