Polish police say they have detained 140 foreign citizens and carried out nearly 2,000 controls as part of a nationwide crackdown on individuals with outstanding warrants.
The operation took place over two days from March 2 to March 3, reported the Polish public TV channel TVP. More than 26,000 officers from the police and Border Guard were reportedly involved.
In a statement issued on March 4, Polish police confirmed that 91 of the foreign citizens rounded up in the raids were Ukrainian, 14 from Georgia, eight from Belarus, three were from Moldova and two were from Russia. Twenty-nine were described as being from "other countries."
Poland’s Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski posted about the operation on his X profile on March 4. Kierwinski said that during the operations, 147 foreigners wanted by Polish law enforcement agencies were detained, and "140 people staying in Poland illegally were identified."
These people were then handed over to the Polish Border Guard Straz Graniczna, and at least 112 return applications were submitted, added Kierwinski. Some of the individuals detained were reportedly also wanted for more serious crimes, including robbery and participation in organized crime groups.
The Border Guard said that "return proceedings were initiated against over 130" of the 140 people detained. They added that in nearly 110 cases, the reason was "illegal stay" and in over 20 cases, the reason was a "threat to national security."
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Detentions and returns
Poland’s border guard said that the checks and raids were carried out over the entire country and "demonstrated the scale and intensity of the efforts undertaken by the services to counteract illegal migration." It added that it "consistently responds to violations of residence regulations, ensuring legal order and national security."
The largest group of citizens identified as having had the legality of their stay in Poland checked were from Ukraine (over 640), Colombia (over 250) and Nepal (125).
This is the fourth operation of its kind. In 2025, Polish officers said they detained 4,766 people in raids of this kind, including 515 foreigners.
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'Readmission procedures'
On March 5, the Border Guard posted a video on X saying they had detained six Indian citizens and one Sri Lankan national who were allegedly working for a bus company as drivers “without the required permits.”
The Border Guard has also been busy transferring people back to its neighbors, like Lithuania and Germany, under the readmission procedures. Between January 1 and March 1 this year, stated the Border Guard on X, they transferred 33 foreigners back to Lithuania and 13 to Germany.
The Minister of the Interior has also signed an extension of the so-called Buffer Zone surrounding the Belarus-Polish border for a further three months.