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Association for Legal Intervention Association for Legal Intervention

Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej działa na rzecz osób dyskryminowanych lub zagrożonych wykluczeniem społecznym udzielając im pomocy prawnej i wsparcia integracyjnego.

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Detention

What is detention?

Migrants coming to Poland may be incarcerated even if they have not committed any crime. In situations specified under legal regulations they can be placed in detention centers for migrants, i.e. in detention.

Migrants placed in detention centers are deprived of their liberty and have limited contact with the outside world. The maximum standard duration of the visit of the family members is 90 minutes. Migrants may not own or use mobile phones with video or audio recording. In practice, the majority of mobile phones are being recaptured. Access to the Internet, and thus often contact with the family, is also restricted. Newcomers are not allowed to use their electronic devices. In such detention centers, they have to adapt to existing schedules. At the appointed time, meals are served and the presence is inspected in the morning (counting).

Before being admitted, as well as many times during their stay in the detention center, migrants, including children, are subjected to a personal search. They have to take off their clothes, and then their personal belongings and body are inspected for possession of prohibited goods. More about the conditions and regime in the centers can be found in our reports on the monitoring of the centers conducted in 2012 and 2014.

Read more →
What is detention? →
Location of detention centers →
Who could be placed in detention? →
Reasons for detention →
Duration of detention →
Procedure of placing an individual in detention →
Who should not be detained? →
Detention of children →
Legal framework →

Alternatives to detention

Alternatives to detention (ATD) are measures imposed on migrants which, as a rule, are less repressive than detention and still allow the migration authorities to retain control over them. According to both Polish law and European standards, alternative measures have priority over detention, which means that each time an immigrant is considered for placement in a detention center, it should be justified why in a given case less repressive alternatives would not be sufficient.

According to the Polish law, the alternatives to detention are:

  • reporting to a designated authority (Border Guard),
  • payment of cash collateral in a specified amount
  • obligation to reside in a designated place
  • placing the travel document or other identity document in deposit

Read more →
Alternatives to detention →
Engagement-based alternatives to detention →
European Alternatives to Detention Network →
No Detention Necessary Pilot Project →

Hostages of the System: stories from detention

As part of the “Hostages of the System” campaign, we present the stories of people who spent time in detention centers for foreigners in Poland. Using online communication tools, we would like to start a public discussion about detention and alternative measures to detention. In our opinion, the right to detain foreigners is too often abused.

Those touching accounts were penned down by Magdalena Olszewska, a writer and journalist. Stories were illustrated by Daniel Chmielewski.

Some names and details are changed. Our clients wish to remain anonymous.

Read stories →

Hamid →
Yoofi →
Raisa →
Malika →
Nyan →

Detention News Our campaigns Refugees 2023 Detention Refugees violence, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment

Another case of illegal push-back communicated to Poland

5 June 20235 June 2023
The European Court of Human Rights has communicated to Poland another case concerning illegal deportations on the Polish-Belarusian border and arbitrary detention in guarded centers for foreigners. The European Court…
Detention News Refugees

We are fighting for redress for the unlawful detention of an Iraqi citizen after experiencing violence

12 April 202312 April 2023
We demand compensation for the unlawful stay of an Iraqi citizen after experiencing violence in a guarded center for foreigners. We submit an application to the District Court in Zielona Góra. An Iraqi citizen was fle…
Advocacy Detention Integration News Refugees 2023 Detention Migration Refugees children` rights health

We present our report to the EU Asylum Agency

24 March 202311 April 2023
The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) is an EU agency that provides operational and technical support to Member States in the field of international protection, as well as training to Member States’ asylum au…
Detention News 2023 European Court of Human Rights Detention Migration Refugees health

Complaining Poland for detention of diseased foreigner after violence

24 March 202311 April 2023
The case concerns an Egyptian national who spent more than six months in a guarded detention centre for foreigners in connection with pending procedures for an obligation to return and then for international protection.…

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Issues

  • Refugees
  • Migration
  • Returns
  • Detention
  • Children and youth
  • Integration
  • Racism and discrimination
  • Labour market

Last articles

  • From 8.06.2023 until 11.06.2023 the office will be closed 7 June 2023
  • Pushbacks on European borders: We inform you about the situation in Poland 5 June 2023
  • Another case of illegal push-back communicated to Poland 5 June 2023
  • Important amendments to the Act on Foreigners 12 April 2023
  • We are fighting for redress for the unlawful detention of an Iraqi citizen after experiencing violence 12 April 2023
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