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.

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.