Poland Abandons Plan to Criminalize Aid to Irregular Migrants After Public Outcry
The interior ministry has withdrawn a controversial proposal that would have jailed citizens for up to three years for providing any form of help to undocumented migrants, citing a public backlash.
Poland's interior ministry has reversed a proposed amendment to criminal law that would have made it illegal to provide assistance to irregular migrants, even on humanitarian grounds. The proposal would have punished anyone who "enabled or facilitated" the illegal stay of an undocumented person in Poland with up to three years imprisonment, regardless of whether financial benefit was involved.
The government faced fierce criticism from civil society, the media, and even from the family ministry after Poland's Rzeczpospolita newspaper published the draft law on October 15. Critics argued the measure would criminalize basic humanitarian acts such as offering food or shelter to someone without documentation.
What changed
Under existing Polish law, only those who facilitate illegal residence in exchange for financial or personal gain face criminal penalties of up to five years. The proposed expansion would have treated any form of assistance—aid offered freely by charities, churches, or private citizens—as a crime.
The quick reversal reflects sensitivity around migration policy in Poland, where the government has taken a hardline stance on the Belarus border while also hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees, most of whom have been granted legal status. For foreigners and NGO workers in Poland helping vulnerable populations, the decision removes a significant legal threat to humanitarian activities.
Sources
Independent app, not a government. General information, not advice. The official source:
