Poland bans Ukrainian man for 6 years for smuggling migrants across border

A 27-year-old Ukrainian national has been banned from entering Poland and the entire Schengen zone for six years for organizing the illegal transport of migrants across the Poland-Belarus border. This was reported by Polish media Polsat News, citing the Border Guard.

The man was initially detained on suspicion of organizing illegal migration. The investigation revealed that he helped migrants cross the border and then transported them deeper into Poland. "The Ukrainian citizen, fully aware that he was breaking the law, obtained significant financial benefits from the illegal activity," the Polish Border Guard stated.

The foreigner's further stay in Poland was deemed undesirable, as he allegedly posed a threat to state security and public order. According to the decision of the Border Guard commander in Biała Podlaska, the detainee was forced to leave Poland. The Ukrainian was taken to a border crossing and handed over to Ukrainian authorities. The operation was conducted by officers of the Operational Investigative Department of the Nadbużański Border Guard unit under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office in Lublin.

"The expelled Ukrainian citizen will not be able to return to Poland for six years," the border guards announced, which also implies a parallel ban on movement within the Schengen zone.

It is worth recalling that Poland previously built a 5-meter-high fence with surveillance equipment on the border with Belarus to more effectively stop illegal migrants. Construction began shortly after the emergence of this route, facilitated by the Belarusian authorities, in the summer of 2021. There were also reports about the construction of an additional barrier to reinforce the existing fence. In April, Polish National Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the situation on the border with Belarus was fully under control.