Legal Aspects of Migration in Poland

Since the beginning of the 1990s we have observed a significant inflow of foreigners into the territory in Poland. Thus, Poland has transitioned from an emigration state into an emigration-immigration state. Among foreigners arriving in Poland there are also those who seek permanent protection in the form of the refugee status or asylum. The migration situation in Poland is still characterised by an increased inflow of citizens of Ukraine, as well as an increase in the number of applications for international protection submitted by citizens of Russia (90% of them declare the Chechen nationality), Georgia, Tajikistan and Armenia. In concord with the effective constitutional regulation, foreigners are allowed to take advantage of the right to asylum in Poland on the conditions set out in the act. A foreigner seeking protection against persecution, on the other hand, may be granted the status of a refugee pursuant to effective international agreements to which the Republic of Poland is a party. For the above reasons there was a need to create efficient mechanisms for the prevention of illegal immigration, and at the same time ensure proper protection for persons who found themselves in a particularly difficult position due to the situation prevailing in the countries of their origin. Additionally, the EU migration crisis is used to create a homogeneous, instead of civil, society. The party in power is trying to fulfil its political agenda by populist means. As a result, one can notice that a non-inclusive and non-pluralistic idea of a nation prevails.