Last day, as many as 138 foreigners tried to illegally cross the Polish border from Belarus. Border guards prevented 130 people from doing so, 8 were detained. The Interior Ministry has taken new decisions to limit the influx of immigrants from the east.
A barbed-wire fence is to be erected along a 150 km long section of the border in Podlasie. So far, it has been possible to stretch this dam over a distance of 100 kilometres. It was reported that, if necessary, more soldiers would be sent to protect the border – now the guards are supported by 1000 military, as well as police officers from the garrisons of Lublin and Podlasie.
Poland also cooperates with Lithuania, and at the request of the Lithuanian police, our country will provide support consisting of 50 officers.
Our neighbours, on the other hand, already have border guards operating with a PZL Kania helicopter.
Since the beginning of the month, over 2100 people have tried to illegally cross the Polish border from Belarus. Over 750 went to our country.
The Ministry of Interior also reported that over the past month and a half nearly 400 migrants had been sent back from Poland.
The government, in practice, blocks the possibility for foreigners who illegally enter our country to stay in Poland.
Yesterday the Council of Ministers adopted a draft amendment to the Act on foreigners and the Act on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Poland, prepared by the Ministry of Interior and Administration.
The amendment to the Act on foreigners stipulates, inter alia, that: if a foreigner is caught crossing the border illegally, the decision on his/her return shall be made without reference to the procedures of the Code of Administrative Procedure. Accelerated decisions are to be taken by the competent Chief of the Border Guard. It will be possible to appeal the decision but from abroad.
If, on the other hand, someone applies for refugee status or asylum, there will be no obligation to process such applications if the immigrant has illegally crossed the border, or entered from a country where they were not at risk. These include Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.