Asylum applicants staying in the centres have the right to be visited by family members, legal advisors, UNHCR, NGOs, etc. in the rooms intended for that purpose.[1]
Asylum applicants may receive visits in the centre from 9:00 to 16:00 in a place agreed upon with the employee of the centre. In particularly justified cases, the visiting hours in the centre may be prolonged upon permission of the employee of the centre, but not later than 22:00.[2]
Each entry of a non-resident into the premises of the centre requires the permission of:[3]
- The employee of the centre in the case of asylum applicants receiving social assistance, other than living in this centre;
- The Head of the Office for Foreigners in other cases.
The Head of the Office for Foreigners or an employee of the centre can refuse to give permission to enter the centre or withdraw it if this is justified regarding the interest of the third country national or necessary to ensure the safety or for epidemiological and sanitary reasons.[4] No NGO was refused entry to the reception centres in 2024.[5]
The above-mentioned rules do not apply to the representatives of the UNHCR, who may enter the centre anytime provided that the staff of the centre was notified in advance.[6] As regards NGOs, whose tasks include the provision of assistance to asylum applicants, and entities which provide legal assistance to asylum applicants, the Head of the Office for Foreigners may issue a permit to enter the centre for the period of their activities performed for asylum applicants residing in the centre.[7]
According to the Office for Foreigners, all persons asking to enter the reception centres are checked in the Sexual Offenders’ Registry. The verification process varies depending, among other factors, on the individual’s citizenship. When submitting an application for permission to enter the facility, organisations are required to attach confirmation that the verification of their representatives, to whom the application pertains, has been carried out correctly. These confirmations are submitted under penalty of criminal liability for making a false statement.[8]
Asylum applicants have access to information about entities providing free legal assistance. During their stay in the centre, asylum applicants communicate with legal advisers, UNHCR or NGOs mainly by phone, fax, e-mail, etc. Seven out of nine centres are located in small villages, far away from big cities, where most of the legal advisers, UNHCR and NGOs in Poland have their premises, and accessing them can be problematic. As a result, asylum applicants are often contacted only remotely, especially when NGOs do not have the funds for travelling to these centres.
In 2024 voluntary assistance in centres for foreigners was provided as part of activities carried out by NGOs. Volunteers also provided support through employee volunteering, renovating a room in the centre in Linin (with the involvement of the ORLEN Foundation and TVN Warner Bros. Discovery).[9]
[1] Paras 7-9 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[2] Para 9 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[3] Para 7.2 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[4] Para 7.5 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[5] Information provided by the Office for Foreigners, 19 February 2025.
[6] Para 7.6 and 7.7 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[7] Para 7.4 of the Annex to the Regulation on rules of stay in the centre for asylum seekers.
[8] Information provided by the Office for Foreigners, 19 February 2025.
[9] Information provided by the Office for Foreigners, 19 February 2025.