Realistic measures to protect the rights and security of an immigrant on the Belarusian border from the perspective of the Law on Foreigners, the Law on the Protection of Foreigners and acts of international law

Czasopismo Prawa Karnego i Nauk Penalnych Rok XXVI: 2022, numer 3-4
Journal of Criminal Law and Penal Studies Volume XXVI: 2022, No. 3-4

Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora, Jarosław Walentynowicz

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Keywords

Summary

The refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border related to the appearance on the
border of a significant number of people who were brought to the territory of Belarus
and then directed to the territory of Poland in an organized manner by Belarusian
services led to a number of actions by, among others, Polish authorities, the legal as-
pects of which required urgent elaboration. This article addresses the issue of realistic
measures to protect the rights and security of an immigrant on the Belarusian border
from the perspective of the Law on Foreigners, the Law on the Protection of Foreigners
and acts of international law. Statutory instruments for the protection of foreigners
arriving in Poland are contained in a number of relevant legal acts. Among them, the
most important are: the Law on Granting Protection to Foreigners on the Territory
of the Republic of Poland, the Law on Foreigners, the Law on the Border Guard, the
Law on the Protection of the State Border and others of lesser importance. In addition,
relevant international conventions and rulings of tribunals, including the European
Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, are also in force in the Polish legal system with
regard to foreigners’ cases.
These acts relate to proceedings in cases involving foreigners who, under various
circumstances and for various reasons, found themselves on the territory of Poland,
with relatively the most detailed regulation of issues related to foreigners who entered
the territory of the Republic of Poland illegally. In its entirety, this study is devoted only
to issues related to illegal stay in Poland after crossing the border between Belarus and
Poland, which is also the EU border (the external border of the Schengen zone ). As an
aside, we will only point out that the treatment of foreigners illegally crossing the border
with Poland is the same at all sections of the border.

Bibliography

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id%22:[%22001-204426%22] >.
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Cudzoziemcy w Polsce. Podręcznik dla funkcjonariuszy publicznych, Warszawa 2016.
Kolejny wyrok ETPC w sprawie odmowy wjazdu uchodźcom na przejściu granicznymw Terespolu, Helsińska Fundacja Praw Człowieka, < https://www.hfhr.pl/wyrok-etpc-odmowa-wjazdu-uchodzcom-z-czeczenii-na-przejsciu-granicznym-w-terespolu-byla-bezprawna/ >.
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Potyrała A., w: Karta Praw Podstawowych Unii Europejskiej. Komentarz, red. A. Wróbel, Warszawa 2020.

Powers of border guards, Armed Forces (including Territorial Defense Forces), Military Police, Police interfering
with civil rights and freedoms in the context of the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border

Czasopismo Prawa Karnego i Nauk Penalnych Rok XXVI: 2022, numer 3-4
Journal of Criminal Law and Penal Studies Volume XXVI: 2022, No. 3-4

Aleksandra Antoniak-Drożdż (red.), Michał Binkiewicz, Jakub Cema, Robert Kmieciak, Tadeusz Marek,
Artur Oniszczuk, Karolina Staros, Alfred Staszak, Zbigniew Szpiczko, Andrzej Śliwski

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Full text in PDF (open access)

 

Keywords

Summary

The refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border related to the appearance on the bor-
der of a significant number of people who were brought to the territory of Belarus and
then directed to the territory of Poland in an organized manner by Belarusian services
led to a number of actions by, among others, Polish authorities, the legal aspects of which
required urgent elaboration. This article addresses the issue of powers of Border Guards,
Armed Forces (including Territorial Defense Forces), Military Police, Police interfering
with civil rights and freedoms in the context of the situation on the Polish-Belarusian
border. It contains a comprehensive description of all potential competences of those
forces with respect to both refugees and volunteers providing medical assistance.

Bibliography

Czebotar Ł. i in., Ustawa o Policji. Komentarz, LEX/el. 2015.
Kotowski W., Ustawa o Policji. Komentarz, LEX/el. 2021.
Pieprzny S., Odpowiedzialność dyscyplinarna policjantów według nowych uregulowań prawnych, w: Jednostka, państwo, administracja – nowy wymiar, red. E. Ura, Rzeszów 2004.

 

Deprivation of migrants’ liberty

Czasopismo Prawa Karnego i Nauk Penalnych Rok XXVI: 2022, numer 1-2
Journal of Criminal Law and Penal Studies Volume XXVI: 2022, No. 1-2

Paweł Burzyński, Ewa Janczur

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Full text in PDF (open access)

 

Keywords

Summary

The refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border related to the appearance on the bor-
der of a significant number of people who were brought to the territory of Belarus and
then directed to the territory of Poland in an organized manner by Belarusian services
led to a number of actions by, among others, Polish authorities, the legal aspects of which
required urgent elaboration. This article addresses the issue of deprivation of migrants’
liberty. Deprivation of liberty in accordance with current legislation and well-established
case law is any detention in a closed room and the use of any other measure that may
constitute a significant obstacle to the exercise of that liberty. This may include the use
of physical violence (e.g., binding, confinement), the use of threats or any other means.
The key issue is not whether it was objectively impossible for the deprived person to
free himself, but whether it is so in the reasonable perception of the imprisoned person
under the circumstances.
In the context of migrants, the issue of deprivation of their liberty should be con-
sidered in relation to several different procedural steps and measures used against them,
such as detention, citizen capture, detention, push-back disclosure.

 

Criminal liability for staying and moving in the no-go zone (in a humanitarian perspective)

Czasopismo Prawa Karnego i Nauk Penalnych Rok XXVI: 2022, numer 1-2
Journal of Criminal Law and Penal Studies Volume XXVI: 2022, No. 1-2

Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora

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Full text in PDF (open access)

 

Keywords

Summary

The refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border related to the appearance on the
border of a significant number of people who were brought to the territory of Belarus
and then directed to the territory of Poland in an organized manner by Belarusian ser-
vices led to a number of actions by, among others, Polish authorities, the legal aspects of
which required urgent elaboration. This article addresses the issue of criminal liability for
staying and moving in the no-go zone (in a humanitarian perspective). The prohibition
of residence in the area of the state of emergency has been analyzed quite thoroughly in
this study, but here it is worth mentioning in more detail the prohibition of residence and
movement in the border zone and in the zone of construction of state border security.
The end of the state of emergency did not result in the restoration of normal social
life in the areas near the border with Belarus. The Law on Amendments to the Law on the
Protection of the State Border and Certain Other Laws introduced significant changes
to the Law on the Protection of the State Border, basically maintaining the legal regime
in effect during the state of emergency. In turn, the Law on the Construction of State
Border Security introduced a completely new instrument, namely the ban on staying
in the construction zone.

Bibliography

Trociuk S., Stan wyjątkowy przy granicy z Białorusią – konsekwencje prawne, LEX/el. 2021.