W artykule ukazuje się zmiany w polskiej polityce migracyjnej. Przyjęcie dokumentu „Polska polityka migracyjna” w ramach Strategii na rzecz Odpowiedzialnego Rozwoju do roku 2020 spowodowało stworzenie polskiego modelu aktywnej polityki migracyjnej, w którym założono m. in. zarzadzanie procesami emigracyjnymi, imigracyjnymi, integrację cudzoziemców, a także uwzględniono politykę bezpieczeństwa państwa.

Counteracting Illegal Immigration to Poland on the Polish-Ukrainian Border in 2009-2019

Illegal migration is one of the most frequently committed border crimes. The cooperation of states and specialized services in the field of combating and counteracting illegal migration is an expression of the implementation of the overriding goal, which is the security of the state and its citizens. As shown by the statistics of the Border Guard, the Polish-Ukrainian border is characterized by the greatest personal traffic. In 2009-2019, most illegal immigration was recorded on this section of the border. The article discusses the scale and scope of the phenomenon of illegal immigration on the Polish-Ukrainian border, and highlights the cooperation of services and organizations competent in this field.

On the 25th of September, 2015 the Polish Parliament adopted the act amending the 1989 Act on Associations. Though there had been eight subsequent amendments, the 2015 act was the first aiming to substantially adapt the Act on Associations – the first legal effect of the political consensus achieved within the Round Table negotiations of the then Communist government and the “democratic opposition” – to new social and economic conditions of Poland. 26 years of functioning of the Act have been the time of passage from “real socialism” to “democratic state of law” having to base, according to the 1997 Constitution, on “social market economy”, and from a practical isolation of Poland within its borders to its opening to the world, in particular within the framework of European institutions. The article sketches, also on the basis of the author’s personal experience due to his participation in drafting and legislative works, the course of the revision works initiated in 2009, in particular of parliamentary works on the 2014 President’s draft law, as well as their limited results achieved in the 2015 act. Analyses of causes of such limitation are presented on the plane of the most important items of the pre- -parliamentary and parliamentary debates, i.e. right of legal persons to associate on equal terms with physical persons (not included in the President’s proposal), right of foreigners to associate on equal terms with citizens (and inhabitants) of Poland (its application had been proposed by the President, but not included in the act), and legal effect of the, generally agreed, elevation of the status of “ordinary association” on functioning of the present ordinary associations that would not wish to become new ordinary associations; the latter question relates to the fundamental issue of the sense of the freedom of association.

Institutions of international protection for foreigners in Poland – political and legal solutions

Forced migration is a phenomenon affecting various parts of the world. Throughout history, people have been forced to leave their own country due to wars, conflicts, persecution and poverty in search of safety and livelihood. The events of recent years that Poland has been experiencing (including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Poland-Belarus border crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the earlier migration crisis of 2015/2016) have led to changes in the pattern of migration, migration policy, as well as law in this regard. Poland is becoming a destination for an increasing number of refugees. Crises have put to the test Poland’s current migration and refugee policy. It has become apparent that the existing institutional and legal solutions are insufficient. In addition, it is not easy to cooperate and present a united front on the European Union forum in the face of potential threats resulting from successive migration waves. The purpose of this article is to present the institutions dealing with international protection of foreigners in Poland, describe their scope of competence, as well as discuss the need for new solutions. An aspect of particular importance is the ability to correctly identify a given situation and needs in order to grant (or refuse) a specific form of protection accordingly. 

From 1975, as part of the operation code-named “Zapora” carried out by the Security Service, counterintelligence operations are documented as having been carried out with the aim of protecting facilities and units of the Polish and Soviet Army in Piła Voivodeship. Department II of KWMO/WUSW in Piła, in cooperation with WSW and MO, kept diplomats and foreigners from Western countries under surveillance. This control extended to the monitoring of all persons, regardless of nationality, in the areas adjacent to the facilities and those employed in enterprises providing services to the Polish Army. These persons of interest were identified as part of operational checks and registration questionnaires, using numerous secret collaborators and personal contacts. As a part of “Zapora”, major military exercises such as “OPAL 87” and “Przyjaźń 87” were also safeguarded. Operation „Zapora” was completed in January 1990.