Poland detains 140 foreigners in nationwide police and border guard operation

Polish authorities have detained more than 140 foreigners across the country following a joint operation by police and the Border Guard, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said on Wednesday.

Photo:Polish Border Guard/twitter.com/Straz_Graniczna

Kierwiński said on X that officers carried out nearly 1,800 checks to verify the legality of foreigners’ stays in Poland.

The Border Guard said that in nearly 110 cases, proceedings were launched to require individuals to leave the country because of illegal residence.

In more than 20 cases, return procedures were initiated on the grounds that the individuals posed a threat to state security, it said.

More than 700 Border Guard officers from all regional units took part in the March 2-3 operation, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Police said nearly 26,500 officers were involved in a broader nationwide operation that targeted individuals hiding from law enforcement or the justice system.

Specialized units, including the Central Cybercrime Bureau and the Central Bureau of Police Investigation, also took part in the operation. Police described it as the fourth such nationwide effort and the first this year.

In total, officers detained 1,944 people wanted on arrest warrants or court orders, including 147 foreign nationals sought by Polish authorities.

Among them were 91 Ukrainians, 14 Georgians, eight Belarusians, three Moldovans and two Russians, as well as 29 people from other countries, police said.

Seven people were detained under European Arrest Warrants and Interpol Red Notices.

Police said those arrested included a Brazilian citizen wanted since 2025 by Brazil’s justice system on robbery charges and a Belarusian woman sought in connection with alleged involvement in an organized crime group engaged in online fraud.

Authorities said she was accused of setting up bank accounts using false identities.

In the northeastern Podlaskie region, officers detained a Colombian man who they said was staying in Poland illegally. Overall, police submitted 112 requests to the Border Guard to issue return decisions for foreign nationals.

During three previous nationwide operations in February, June and November last year, authorities detained a total of 4,766 people, including 515 foreigners, according to police data.

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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info

Radio Poland