Polish police detained 140 foreign citizens and filed at least 112 return applications during a two-day nationwide sweep that ran from March 2 to March 3, 2026.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced the results on X on March 4, writing that the operation had netted "147 foreigners wanted by Polish law enforcement agencies" and identified "140 people staying in Poland illegally." More than 26,000 officers from the police and the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna) took part, according to public broadcaster TVP.

Who was detained?

Police confirmed the breakdown on March 4:

• 91 Ukrainians
• 14 Georgians
• 8 Belarusians
• 3 Moldovans
• 2 Russians
• 29 nationals of "other countries"

Several of those held were also wanted for robbery and for participation in organised crime groups, police said.

What happens to them now?

The Border Guard said it opened return proceedings against more than 130 of the 140 people. In nearly 110 cases, the trigger was "illegal stay." In over 20 cases, the agency cited a "threat to national security."

The Border Guard added that 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 said it "consistently responds to violations of residence regulations, ensuring legal order and national security."

How big was the wider sweep?

Officers carried out nearly 2,000 residence checks during the two days. The largest groups whose legal status was examined were:

• Ukrainians: over 640
• Colombians: over 250
• Nepalis: 125

Is this part of a pattern?

It is the fourth such operation since the current enforcement campaign began. In 2025, Polish officers said they detained 4,766 people in raids of this kind, including 515 foreigners.

What else is the Border Guard doing?

On March 5, the Border Guard posted a video on X saying it had detained six Indian citizens and one Sri Lankan national who were working for a bus company as drivers "without the required permits."

Under bilateral readmission procedures, the agency also transferred people back to neighbouring countries between January 1 and March 1:

• 33 foreigners returned to Lithuania
• 13 foreigners returned to Germany

The Interior Minister has separately signed a three-month extension of the buffer zone along the Belarus–Poland border, keeping in place the restricted-access strip that has shaped cross-border movements since 2021.

What is the policy backdrop?

The enforcement push comes as Poland negotiates its position on the European Union's migration and asylum pact. Warsaw has pressed for an exemption from the bloc's solidarity mechanism, arguing that its border with Belarus already absorbs a disproportionate share of irregular entries.

Officials frame the new detentions as proof that the country can manage migration on its own terms. Migrant-rights groups, including those cited in Polish press coverage, argue that mass checks blur the line between criminal enforcement and status verification, and can sweep up people with pending applications or valid documents they did not carry.

Anyone who believes they may have been affected by the March 2–3 operation should consult the Polish Border Guard's official channels for verification of status, return orders and appeal deadlines.