The Law on Foreigners contains a section on detention conditions, rights and obligations of foreigners.[1] Some practices relating to the functioning of the centres have now been framed into legal provisions.
Use of force
Direct coercive measures were used 78 times in Przemyśl,[2] once in Kętrzyn,[3] 371 times in Lesznowola,[4] 45 times in Białystok.[5] In Biała Podlaska handcuffs and physical force were used 11 times.[6]
In April 2023, the death of a Syrian man in the detention centre of Przemyśl was reported. An investigation regarding the actions of the border guard and of medical services that came to the centre to provide assistance was ongoing as of January 2026.[7]
The Ombudsman’s Office investigated the use of a direct coercive measure in the detention centre of Przemyśl – an electric stun gun against one of the centre’s occupants. An investigation was launched in this case on the grounds of the border guard officer involved exceeding his authority,[8] but the case was dismissed through a court decision which is now final.[9] The person who was attacked by this officer was found guilty of making criminal threats to the Border Guard Officer in the canteen in 2022. The ruling was not appealed and became final. However, the Polish Ombudsman filled a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court overturned the court decision.[10]
In 2023 and in 2025, the NPM noticed improper documentation of the use of direct coercive measures in detention centre of Przemysl, both in terms of the application of the direct coercive measure itself, as well as the reasons, circumstances and effects of its use. The NPM also recommended that each person subject to isolation be provided first medical aid and a medical examination immediately after being placed in the isolation room, and then at least once during each subsequent 24-hour period,[11] and to provide preventive medical examinations to people exposed to pepper gas, regardless of the officer’s assessment of the health condition of that person[12] and regardless of whether they request medical assistance or complain of any health problems, in order to assess their state of health and document any injuries. This should moreover be recorded in proper documentation.[13]
According to law, the personal inspection of foreigners admitted to detention centres, performed by the Border Guard, should take place in a room ensuring sufficient privacy for the detainee. Searches should be carried out in a place that is inaccessible to outsiders during the procedure. According to the experts of NPM, these standards were not met in the detention centre in Przemyśl: for example there were other people in the room at all times or entering during the search). They also underlined that rules on the rights of people who have been subjected to a personal search lacked several important pieces of information. Namely, there was no clear indication that a foreigner may request that a report on the personal inspection be drawn up, nor does it specify which aspects of the inspection a foreigner may complain about and what these aspects actually consist of.[14]
Overall conditions
At the end of 2025 there were 5 detention centres (Białystok, Kętrzyn, Biała Podlaska, Przemyśl, Lesznowola, with Krosno Odrzańskie closed for renovation).
Generally, detainees are accommodated in rooms which cannot be locked at night for security matters.[15]
In some detention centres, the food is provided by external providers (Biała Podlaska), while in others it is prepared in the centres (e.g., in Bialystok). There are specialised diets available e.g., vegetarian, vegan, adapted to Muslims, adapted to pregnant or breastfeeding women or diabetics. Other diets may be prescribed by a physician and should be followed accordingly.
The main equipment in a room consists of beds (from 3 to 9 i.e. in Przemyśl),[16] small wardrobes and a small table.
If detainees cannot have all their belongings in their room, they have to place them in the external storage space in the centre. Some of their belongings are also placed there for safety reasons and can be accessed only upon request.
In Lesznowola[17] and Biała Podlaska,[18] there is a television in each room, gym, and outdoor pitch.
Furthermore, the detention centres look like prisons and criminal detention centres in Krosno, Białystok, and Przemyśl where rooms have barred windows.[19] According to the Border Guards, bars on windows taken off and replaced with special secure windows in 2025 in Lesznowola, Kętrzyn and Biała Podlaska.[20] Representatives of the Commissioner for Human Rights also conducted inspections of the detention centre in Przemyśl in 2023 and in 2025. They pointed out that bars are still installed on the windows, emphasising the penitentiary nature of the facility.[21] Up to currently, there are reports that Border Guards address detainees using their identification numbers, or the name of their country of origin and “you”.[22]
Arrest for foreigners centres are more prison-like than guarded centres. An asylum applicant placed in such a centre cannot freely move around (they are closed in the ward). In practice, it means that detainees have to stay in a cell for most of the day and have limited access to additional activities. Asylum applicants have limited access to the internet and the phone. They have to knock at the door to be taken to the toilet, in some cases having to wait for a long period of time.[23]
According to the Commissioner for Human Rights, sanitary and prison-like living conditions are not adequate and do not meet international standards of the rights of persons in administrative detention.[24] The facility needs urgent renovation works. One of the problems is the lack of sanitary corners in cells, requiring detainees to call an officer every time they need to use the toilet. In case of high occupancy in the facility, this can result in prolonged waiting times to deal with physiological needs.[25] The living cells are constantly monitored and furniture items are permanently fixed to the floor.[26]
According to the European Commision, the Polish authorities should ensure that the regime applicable to the detention of foreigners placed in the ‘arrest for foreigners’ in Przemyśl is adjusted to reflect the administrative nature of their detention, and take appropriate measures to ensure the conditions in the facility guarantee adequate privacy and effective access to leisure activities in accordance with the provisions of the Directive 2008/115/EC17.[27]
Persons detained have a right to use two walking yards, twice a day for one hour.
Activities and education
In some detention centres, the open-air space is of adequate size and sufficient recreational facilities are provided. In practice, detainees can do outdoor exercises regularly. Detainees can watch television without any limitations, including until late at night.[28] Regarding the ‘arrest for foreigners’ centre in Przemyśl, the European Commision recommended that the Polish authorities take the appropriate measures to ensure effective access to leisure activities in accordance with the provisions of the Directive 2008/115/EC17.[29]
It is worth noting that foreigners are under constant supervision of the Border Guard officer.
On 27 January 2017, the Border Guard Chief Commander ordered the blocking of sites with presumed terrorist-related and extremist content, social media and instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, and Messenger. New technologies such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) are also forbidden for security reasons even though the CPT recommended that this kind of communication be available for use by foreigners in detention centres.[30] On the other hand, foreigners placed in some detention centres can use Whatsapp or TEAMS.[31]
Moreover, detainees cannot use their smartphones with access to the Internet, which means that access to the Internet is possible only in dedicated rooms with computers.[32]
Not all detainees have phones or SIM cards and there are no publicly available telephones. They can request to use a cell phone at the disposal of Border Guards[33] only if they have a sim card. According to the NPM, domestic legal regulations restrict the use of cell phones for foreigners in detention facilities who do not have identity documents as the law requires that individuals possess a passport or residence card to register the SIM card. Additionally, migrants have to cover the phone costs and it was pointed out that in the case of migrants who do not have financial means in the detention centre, their right to have contact with the outside world can be restricted.[34]
In some centres, there are libraries with books in several languages, for example in Russian, English, and French. There are also popular games to play (e.g., chess, cards). At the same time, according to the Commissioner for Human Rights, foreigners complained that additional activities are rarely organised and that they feel bored.[35] The CPT recommended to put in place a purposeful programme of a structured activities for detained foreigners, including pre-school age children, in all guarded centres.[36] Detention centres provide rooms for religious practices.[37]
In all centres, each asylum applicant and the irregular migrant has an officer appointed to their case with a scheduled meeting to discuss their case.
The rules of stay in the detention centres are available in 17-25 languages: Arabic, English, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Armenian, Chinese, Georgian, Hindi, Spanish, Mongolian, Persian, Turkish, Farsi, Urdu, Bengali and Vietnamese[38], Kurdish in some centres,[39] Albanese, Belarusian, German, Armenian[40]Amhara, Tigrinia Sorani, Pendzabi.[41]
According to the CPT, specific attention should be paid to the situation of those detainees who are illiterate or who cannot understand any language in the written form.[42]
Children staying in the guarded centres are – like all other children staying in the territory of Poland – subject to obligatory education until they are 18. However, this obligation, set in the Polish Constitution, is not fulfilled in the case of children staying in guarded centres.[43] None of the children staying there attends school.[44] Schools near the detention centre delegated teachers to work in detention facilities. Special classrooms are prepared in these centres. This is the result of agreements between the Border Guard, educational institutions and local authorities.[45]
Health care and special needs in detention
According to the law, all detainees have access to regular health care.[46] Generally, physicians and nurses are hired to work in detention centres. Unfortunately, in some detention centres access to the independent psychologists – especially if provided by NGOs – is significantly restricted.[47] In 2025 there was no NGO providing psychological assistance in detention centres directly or online, inter alia due to funding issues, issues in accessing detention centres, etc.[48] Difficulties in accessing female physicians, paediatricians and gynaecologists were also observed.[49]
In some detention centres nurses are present daily from 7.30 a.m. util 9.30 p.m. According to law, a person admitted to a guarded centre should be immediately subjected to a medical examination.
In case of an emergency or the need for a specialist (e.g. gynaecologist), detainees are transferred to hospitals or clinics. Migrants also faced problems to have an external visit at their own expense with a physician of their choice as the director of the detention centre had to issue consent to such a consultation.[50]
The NPM recommended that the Border Guards raise the number of medical staff hired in detention centres, ensure that families with children and single women have access to paediatricians, genealogists and ensure migrants’ right to choose a physician. The approval of that choice should not depend on the opinion of the medical staff employed at the centre. Another recommendation was to ensure presence of a person trained in first aid also at night in detention centres (a person who holds a valid certification in the application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator).[51]
The CPT recommended that the Polish authorities put an immediate end to the use of restraint beds in detention facilities for foreigners and remove them from detention centres.[52]
The NPM has also recommended that the scope of the medical examination and the medical certificate refer to detention and assess whether there is a reasonable presumption of subjection to violence.[53] Body maps should be used during examinations of all third-country nationals and medical checks of body marks as marks of violence, including torture should be performed.[54] The practice of body maps was introduced in the detention centres in Biała Podlaska, Kętrzyn, and Przemyśl.[55]
The NPM recommended also that the detention centre in Przemysl develop an examination methodology to identify victims of torture, including through skin inspection, as well as the documentation of identified injury traces in accordance with the instructions of the Istanbul Protocol, and reorganise their method for storing medical records of third-country nationals, in a way that ensures the preservation of the chronology of documents and prevents their loss.[56] For example, the NPM reported in 2023 that a victim of torture was placed in the arrest for foreigners centre in Przemyśl, with the guidelines not applied in his case.[57]
The CPT recommended that medical screening upon admission to a detention centre should include recording of any signs of injury, together with any relevant statements of the detained person and the doctor’s conclusions. A dedicated register on injuries observed during admission and detention should be put in place and attention should be paid to the possible existence of traumatic psychological disorders and signs of victimisation. Furthermore, special training should be provided to healthcare professionals working in guarded centres for foreigners which should cover the technique of interviewing persons who may have been subject to ill-treatment.[58]
The NPM also recommended ensuring that :
- medical examinations take place out of sight and earshot of persons who are not medical professionals, unless the healthcare professional performing the examination requests their presence;[59]
- third-country natinals subject to isolation be provided first medical aid and a medical examination immediately after being placed in the isolation room, and then at least once during each subsequent 24-hour period,[60]
- all third-country nationals who has been subjected to direct coercive measures be given a preventive medical examination, regardless of whether they require medical assistance or complain of any health problems, in order to assess their state of health and document any injuries, and that this information is properly recorded in documentation.[61]
The issue of access to psychological assistance in detention centres is extremely severe.[62] According to the NPM, in Poland, there is a systemic, long-lasting problem of identification of persons who have experienced torture or any other form of physical, psychological or sexual violence.[63] The detention centre staff, including psychologists, are not properly prepared to identify victims of torture and inhumane treatment and do not know or do not use the content of the Istanbul Protocol.[64]
In September 2015, the Border Guard prepared a document entitled “Rules of BG proceedings with foreigners who need special treatment (algorithm)” because there is no definition of persons who need special treatment and there are no methods for their identification set out in law. The guidelines consist of: (i) a definition of foreigners who require special treatment, (ii) a list of persons involved in the identification, (iii) a set of solutions which simplify identification, (iv) a procedure which should be implemented before a foreigner is placed in the detention centre and (v) a procedure when a foreigner is already in detention. However, early identification of victims of torture and violence is not carried out during the preliminary examination of a foreigner on admission in practice. This document was modified in June 2019, based only on an internal consultation with the Border Guard. In the opinion of NPM, the document still needs improvements [65] as it is inconsistent with Polish law, the Istanbul Protocol and other international standards. These guidelines do not allow for the immediate release of foreigners who are alleged victims of violence from the guarded centre (see Detention of vulnerable applicants).
Interpretation
According to the CPT’s report, medical confidentiality was generally respected by staff in the detention centre, but due to language barriers and a lack of professional interpretation arrangements, translations during the medical checks were done in the presence and assistance of the other detained foreigners. Thus, the CPT recommended ensuring that qualified interpretation is available in all cases when there is a language barrier and the healthcare professional is unable to make a proper diagnostic evaluation and/or communicate treatment need. Additionally, the Committee highlighted that interpretation by a fellow detainee should be avoided by all means.[66]
Still in 2025, in Przemyśl, other detainees or Border Guards serve as interpeters between detainees and medical staff. A Border Guard officer is usually present during medical consultations. The National Prevention Mechanism (NPM) recommended that sworn translators be used for medical, psychological, and legal consultations with third country nationals whenever there is a language barrier. The NPM also recommended ensuring that medical examinations take place out of sight and earshot of persons who are not medical professionals, unless the healthcare professional performing the examination requests their presence.[67]
Psychological care
Additionally, the CPT noted that none of the centres[68] benefitted from regular visits by a psychiatrist, and there were no clinical psychologists in any of the healthcare teams. Psychologists employed by the Border Guard formed part of the administrative staff and were usually not involved in any therapeutic work. Consultations by an external psychologist could be organised on an ad hoc basis, based upon the recommendation of health-care professionals or upon request by the detained foreign nationals, their lawyers or NGO representatives supporting the detained persons.[69] Unfortunately, in some detention centres access to the independent psychologists – especially if provided by NGOs – is significantly restricted.[70] In 2025 there was no NGO providing psychological assistance in detention centres directly or online, inter alia due to funding issues, issues in accessing detention centres, etc.[71]
According to NGOs, as of 2025 psychologists and interpreters were available in the premises of the Head of the Office for Foreigners[72] or in a different place, but not in the centre where the individual is detained.
NGOs have highlighted the insuficient access to medical and psychological care in detention centres.[73]
In 2025 in a guarded centre in Kętrzyn, one psychologist officer were available full-time.[74]
In Przemyśl, psychologists (one internal and one external) are available around 20 hours a month.[75]
In Biała Podlaska detention centre there are two psychologists hired full-time: a civil worker and a border guard officer. Additionally, the external psychologist was hired for 4-8 hours a week to primarily provide psychological consultations.[76]
In Lesznowola, a full-time psychologist who is also a Border Guard officer was hired, and there is one external psychologist available upon request, typically 1-2 times per week.[77]
In Białystok, there were 2 psychologists – one external (available 3 times a week and at the request) and one internal, full time.[78]
In practice, the limited access to independent psychological care raises great concerns.[79] The Border Guards refused to allow psychologists to hold meetings with specific individuals in 2023 in detention centres, declaring that foreigners have access to psychological care in detention centres.[80] In 2025 there was no NGO providing psychological assistance in detention centres directly or online, inter alia due to funding issues, issues in accessing detention centres, etc.[81]
The Commissioner for Human Rights reported many irregularities regarding psychological assistance and underlined that the number, frequency and description of the consultations showed that they were only preliminary interviews and diagnoses, and that long-term psychological support was not provided. Additionally, the Commissioner pointed out that the fact that only one psychologist provides psychological assistance in detention centres limits the availability of psychological support. There is a high risk that this psychologist will not be available when support during a foreigner’s mental crisis is needed and there will be no one who could substitute them and provide psychological assistance. Moreover, detainees should be able to choose a psychologist. Otherwise, a detainee who is unable to trust an available psychologist will not have access to effective psychological support. A person who does not feel comfortable in the presence of a particular psychologist will not take advantage of the support. Regardless of their competence, a psychologist may not be the right person to provide support in a particular case because of their age, gender, appearance or even way of speaking. In a situation of a multicultural population in detention centres, the human factor plays an even more important role and the more difficult it can be to build trust. Therefore, it is very important to be able to get psychological help from more than one person. When there is no alternative, when a person is not able to trust the only psychologist providing support in a given centre, psychological care will no longer be realistically available.[82]
[1] Articles 410-427 Law on Foreigners.
[2] Information provided by Bieszczadzki Border Guard Unit, 16 February 2026.
[3] Information provided by Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guard Unit in Kętrzyn 21 January 2026.
[4] Information provided by Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit, 21 January 2025.
[5] Letter of Podlaski Border Guard Uni, in Białystok, 21 January 2026.
[6] Letter of Nadbużański Border Guards Unit, 13 February 2024.
[7] Polish Press Agency, PAP, 26 January 2024, ‘Investigation into the death of 28-year-old Syrian in a guarded centre for foreigners. Prosecution seeks medical experts’, available in Polish here.
[8] RPO, ‘Unjustified use of a stun gun by a Border Guard officer against a foreigner. Ombudsman requests investigation’, 9 March 2023, available in Polish here.
[9] Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘The court dismissed the RPO’s complaint against the discontinuation of the investigation into the unjustified use of a stun gun by a Border Guard officer against a foreigner’, available in Polish here.
[10] Commissioner for Human Rights, ‘Guinean national sentenced after incident in Guarded Centre for Foreigners. The Supreme Court overturned the verdict after a cassation appeal by the RPO’, 19 April 2024, available in Polish here.
[11] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 60 and 64ff. The visit took place in May 2025.
[12] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[13] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 60. The visit took place in May 2025.
[14] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 60ff. The visit took place in May 2025.
[15] CPT Report 2018, available here.
[16] Information provided by the Border Guard in Przemyśl, February 2026.
[17] Commissioner for Human Rights, visit in detention centre in Lesznowola on 8 February 2022, available in Polish here. Information provided by different Border Guards Units in 2025.
[18] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.7.2023.KK, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka dla Cudzoziemców w Białej Podlaskiej, 4 January 2024, available in Polish here. CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here. Information provided by the Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit, 7 February 2025.
[19] Information provided by the Border Guards Headquarters, March 2026.
[20] Information provided by different divisions of Border Guard, 2026.
[21] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[22] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, availiable here. Information provided by HFHR and sIP, March 2025.
[23] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Commissioner for Human Rights, Cudzoziemcy zbyt łatwo trafiają do aresztu – zamiast do ośrodka. Wystąpienie do MSWiA, Foreigners are too easily taken into custody – instead of a centre. Submission to the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, February 2023, available in Polish here, Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[27] European Commission, Schengen Evaluation of Poland, 2024, Executive summary & recommendations, available here.
[28] Information provided by the Border Guard, 2023. National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 21. The visit took place in May 2025.
[29] European Commission, Schengen Evaluation of Poland, 2024, Executive summary & recommendations, available here.
[30] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 11 to 22 May 2017, 25 July 2018, available here, 28. See also Commissioner for Human Rights, Wyciąg Strzeżony Ośrodek dla Cudzoziemców w Białej Podlaskiej, 7 January 2019, available (in Polish) here.
[31] Information provided by the Border Guard Headquarters, March2026, Border Guards in Przemysl 2026.
[32] See also Amnesty International, Poland: Cruelty Not Compassion, At Europe’s Other Borders, 11 April 2022, available here. Border Guards Headquarters, 7 March 2025.
[33] Letter of Border Guards in Chełm, 6 February 2025.
[34] Commissioner for Human Rights, Sytuacja cudzoziemców w ośrodkach strzeżonych w dobie kryzysu na granicy Polski i Białorusi Raport z wizytacji Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur, [Situation of foreigners in the guarded centres in times of crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus], Report NPM, 15 June 2022, available in Polish here.
[35] Commissioner for Human Rights, Letter to the Regional Courts, 25 January 2022, available here. See also: Amnesty International, Poland: Cruelty Not Compassion, At Europe’s Other Borders, 11 April 2022, available here. CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here. Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.7.2023.KK Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka dla Cudzoziemców w Białej Podlaskiej, 4 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[36] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[37] Supreme Audit Office, NIK, ‘Przygotowanie organów państwa na wypadek masowego napływu cudzoziemców do Polski [Preparation of state bodies in case of a mass influx of foreigners to Poland]’, 22 November 2022, available in Polish here;
[38] Information provided by the Border Guard, 16 February 2026.
[39] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available in English, here. Letter from Podlaski Border Guard Unit, 6 February 2025.
[40] Letter from Bieszczadzki Border Guard Unit, 16 February 2026.
[41] Letter from Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit, 7 February 2025.
[42] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available in English, here.
[43] Commissioner for Human Rights, Foreigners in administrative detention. Results of the KMPT monitoring in guarded centres for foreigners in Poland, March 2021, available in Polish here. Commissioner for Human Rights, Letter to the Regional Courts, 25 January 2022, available here; SIP, We present our comments to the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, 15 June 2022, available here.
[44] SIP, ‘We intervene before the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’, 5 September 2024, available in Polish here.
[45] Letter from Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit, 7 February 2025.
[46] Articles 415(1)(5) and 417 Law on Foreigners.
[47] Information provided by PFM, RPO, Pomoc psychologiczna w strzeżonych ośrodkach dla cudzoziemców – także ze strony NGO-sów, Commissioner for Human Rights, March 2023, available in Polish, here. RPO, October 2022 available in Polish, here.
[48] Information provided by NGOs in the field, January 2025.
[49] FIPP, March 2024; Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[50] Commissioner for Human Rights, Sytuacja cudzoziemców w ośrodkach strzeżonych w dobie kryzysu na granicy Polski i Białorusi Raport z wizytacji Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur, [Situation of foreigners in the guarded centres in times of crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus], Report NPM, 15 June 2022, available in Polish here.
[51] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[52] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[53] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here. The visit took place in May 2025.
[54] Commissioner for Human Rights, Sytuacja cudzoziemców w ośrodkach strzeżonych w dobie kryzysu na granicy Polski i Białorusi Raport z wizytacji Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur, [Situation of foreigners in the guarded centres in times of crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus], Report NPM, 15 June 2022, available in Polish here;
[55] Information provided by Border Guard Units in 2026.
[56] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here ; RPO, Notatka służbowa z wizytacji KMPT w Strzeżonym Ośrodku i Areszcie dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu. Styczeń 2023, [Note from the NPM’s visit to the Guarded Centre and Arrest for Foreigners in Przemyśl], 30 January 2023, available in Polish here.
[57] RPO, Notatka służbowa z wizytacji KMPT w Strzeżonym Ośrodku i Areszcie dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu. Styczeń 2023, [Note from the NPM’s visit to the Guarded Centre and Arrest for Foreigners in Przemyśl], 30 January 2023, available in Polish here.
[58] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available in English, here.
[59] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 56, 59,73. The visit took place in May 2025.
[60] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 60 and 64ff. The visit took place in May 2025.
[61] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here. The visit took place in May 2025.
[62] Commissioner for Human Rights / RPO, Pomoc psychologiczna w strzeżonych ośrodkach dla cudzoziemców – także ze strony NGO-sów, 9 March 2023, available in Polish here; RPO, 17 October 2022 available in Polish here.
[63] Commissioner for Human Rights, Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[64] Commissioner for Human Rights, Sytuacja cudzoziemców w ośrodkach strzeżonych w dobie kryzysu na granicy Polski i Białorusi Raport z wizytacji Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur, [Situation of foreigners in the guarded centres in times of crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus], Report NPM, 15 June 2022, available in Polish here; Krajowy Mechanizm Prewencji KMP.572.6.2023.MD, Raport Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur z wizytacji Strzeżonego Ośrodka i Aresztu dla Cudzoziemców w Przemyślu, 12 January 2024, available in Polish here.
[65] Commissioner for Human Rights, Sytuacja cudzoziemców w ośrodkach strzeżonych w dobie kryzysu na granicy Polski i Białorusi Raport z wizytacji Krajowego Mechanizmu Prewencji Tortur, [Situation of foreigners in the guarded centres in times of crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus], Report NPM, 15 June 2022, available in Polish here.
[66] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[67] National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture KMPT.572.3.2025. AG Report of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture on the visit to the Detention Center and Center for Foreigners in Przemyśl, 3 September 2025, available in Polish here, 56, 59,73. The visit took place in May 2025.
[68] In Białystok, Biała Podlaska and Wędrzyn.
[69] CPT, Report to the Polish Government on the visit to Poland carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 21 March to 1 April 2022, 22 February 2024, available here.
[70] Information provided by PFM, RPO, Pomoc psychologiczna w strzeżonych ośrodkach dla cudzoziemców – także ze strony NGO-sów, Commissioner for Human Rights, March 2023, available in Polish, here. RPO, October 2022 available in Polish, here.
[71] Information provided by NGOs in the field, January 2025.
[72] Information provided by Assosiation for Legal Intervention , 12 March 2026.
[73] SIP, ‘We intervene before the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’, 5 September 2024, available in Polish here. Information from different Border Guards units, 2026.
[74] Information of Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guards Unit, 21 January 2026.
[75] Information provided by the Bieszczadzki Border Guard Unit, 16 February 2026.
[76] Letter from the Nadbużański Border Guard Unit, 19 January 2026.
[77] Information provided by the Nadwislanski Border Guard Unit, 21 January 2026.
[78] Letter of Podlaski Border Guards Unit, 21 January 2026.
[79] See also: Amnesty International, Poland: Cruelty Not Compassion, At Europe’s Other Borders, April 2022, available here.
[80] Information from PFM, March 2023; Commissioner for Human Rights / RPO, Pomoc psychologiczna w strzeżonych ośrodkach dla cudzoziemców – także ze strony NGO-sów, 9 March 2023, available in Polish here; RPO, 17 October 2022, available in Polish here.
[81] Information provided by NGOs in the field, January 2025.
[82] Commissioner for Human Rights, Foreigners in administrative detention. Results of the KMPT monitoring in guarded centres for foreigners in Poland, March 2021, available in Polish here.