USTAWA AZYLOWA. POMIĘDZY CELAMI STRATEGICZNYMI A PRAWORZĄDNOŚCIĄ RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ .......... 166

THE ASYLUM ACT: BETWEEN STRATEGIC GOALS AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND

The article describes the difficult situation of Poland as a country that must decide on maintaining its security at the cost of limiting the right to international protection for refugees. Since 2021, Minsk and Moscow have created a migration crisis on Poland’s eastern border, which persists despite a decline in its intensity. In addition to diplomatic pressure, in 2022, the Polish government decided to build a 5.5-meter high, 186-kilometer long fence, which is systematically enriched with cameras, motion sensors, barbed wire, and the presence of the military, which helps border guards in patrolling the areas. Unfortunately, the actions taken are not entirely effective. In 2024, the Border Guard recorded almost 30,000 attempts to cross the Belarus-Poland border illegally. On February 21, 2025, an amendment to the Act on Temporary Restriction of the Right to Seek International Protection was passed. The restrictions mean that border guards at the Polish-Belarusian border will not accept applications for international protection, save for the exceptions specified in the law.