Poland has launched a crackdown on migrant criminals, with police and border guards carrying out a series of raids across the country.
Around 26,000 police officers and 1,000 border guards swooped on over 32,000 addresses between February 13 and 14, detaining 1,474 wanted people.
Among those arrested were 204 foreigners, of whom 166 were deported.
Border guards also carried out 2,400 checks on the legality of the migrants’ stay, which saw proceedings initiated for the deportation of “almost 180 Ukrainian citizens and almost 60 foreigners from Georgia and the same number from Colombia,” the border guard reported.
The massive operation comes after Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in early February that foreign criminals would not be tolerated in the country.
He said at the time: “Anyone who visits Poland, takes advantage of our hospitality and brutally violates the law will be deported from Poland.”
The February crackdowns are the first phase in what the government says will be a campaign carried out periodically, although no information was given on how often they would take place.
Czesław Mroczek, deputy head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, told the Rzeczpospolita newspaper: “Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of people wanted on arrest warrants because the current actions are insufficient, but also those staying illegally in our country. That is why we are increasing the number of checks.”
In 2024, 8,500 foreigners were deported from Poland, including 2,589 Georgians. Of the 7,300 expelled in 2023, 2,783 were also Georgians, according to Border Guard data.
But the campaign has now drawn criticism, with questions being raised over its effectiveness.
General Adam Rapacki, former deputy head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration and founder of the Central Investigation Bureau of Police (CBŚP), warned an “action-based” fight against crime would not yield sufficient results.
He said: “There is a need for permanent, systemic actions, everyday, ruthless catching of those who are to be sent to prison. The actions may look spectacular, but they will not scare criminals.”
He added that convicted foreigners should be sent to prisons in their country of origin, “so that the Polish taxpayer does not have to pay for them.”
Tomasz Safjański, former deputy head of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Police Headquarters, head of the national office of Interpol and Europol, and a specialist in foreign crime, said: “Only systemic, preemptive actions will make it possible to deal with the problem of foreign crime in Poland, which has skyrocketed in the last decade.
“The dynamics of murders committed by Ukrainian citizens in our country alone has increased by 1,100%.
“The scale of robbery threats in the case of Georgians has increased forty-fold. Such actions will not improve internal security. This is an ad hoc action, with a purely propaganda dimension.”
He also warned that a lack of police recruitment would further exacerbate the problem, saying: “If it reaches 25,000 vacancies, we will lose the ability to ensure security in the country.”
The Polish Press Agency reported that according to data from November last year there are approximately 12,700 unfilled positions with the Polish police force.
Among those arrested were 204 foreigners, of whom 166 were deported.
Border guards also carried out 2,400 checks on the legality of the migrants’ stay, which saw proceedings initiated for the deportation of “almost 180 Ukrainian citizens and almost 60 foreigners from Georgia and the same number from Colombia,” the border guard reported.
Government crackdown
The massive operation comes after Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in early February that foreign criminals would not be tolerated in the country.
He said at the time: “Anyone who visits Poland, takes advantage of our hospitality and brutally violates the law will be deported from Poland.”
The February crackdowns are the first phase in what the government says will be a campaign carried out periodically, although no information was given on how often they would take place.
Czesław Mroczek, deputy head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, told the Rzeczpospolita newspaper: “Our goal is to significantly reduce the number of people wanted on arrest warrants because the current actions are insufficient, but also those staying illegally in our country. That is why we are increasing the number of checks.”
In 2024, 8,500 foreigners were deported from Poland, including 2,589 Georgians. Of the 7,300 expelled in 2023, 2,783 were also Georgians, according to Border Guard data.
Experts question effectiveness
But the campaign has now drawn criticism, with questions being raised over its effectiveness.
General Adam Rapacki, former deputy head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration and founder of the Central Investigation Bureau of Police (CBŚP), warned an “action-based” fight against crime would not yield sufficient results.
He said: “There is a need for permanent, systemic actions, everyday, ruthless catching of those who are to be sent to prison. The actions may look spectacular, but they will not scare criminals.”
He added that convicted foreigners should be sent to prisons in their country of origin, “so that the Polish taxpayer does not have to pay for them.”
Tomasz Safjański, former deputy head of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau of the Police Headquarters, head of the national office of Interpol and Europol, and a specialist in foreign crime, said: “Only systemic, preemptive actions will make it possible to deal with the problem of foreign crime in Poland, which has skyrocketed in the last decade.
“The dynamics of murders committed by Ukrainian citizens in our country alone has increased by 1,100%.
“The scale of robbery threats in the case of Georgians has increased forty-fold. Such actions will not improve internal security. This is an ad hoc action, with a purely propaganda dimension.”
He also warned that a lack of police recruitment would further exacerbate the problem, saying: “If it reaches 25,000 vacancies, we will lose the ability to ensure security in the country.”
The Polish Press Agency reported that according to data from November last year there are approximately 12,700 unfilled positions with the Polish police force.
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