FIGHTING CROSS-BORDER CRIME AS A CHALLENGING TASK OF POLISH BORDER GUARD

Abstract

The protection of the borders of the Polish state is a complex strategy of operations and it is a system that is not limited solely to the physical protection of the territory. This strategy is multidimensional and boils down to the implementation of many activities and legal acting aimed at protecting the state against illegal movement of goods and people. Border protection tactics additionally include all preventive actions preventing the import of hazardous materials and substances. It also involves combating cross-border crime and crimes involving foreigners. After the abolition of borders within the European Union, it also ensures the protection of the intra-EU customs territory. The bodies and institutions that are specialized units are responsible for the implementation of all these tasks: the Border Guard, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, as well as the Customs Service and the Office for Foreigners. Each of these entities performs separate tasks as part of the protection of the state border. The entity that plays the leading role in the state border protection system is the Border Guard. In addition to protecting the state border on land and sea, this formation is responsible for border traffic control and counteracting illegal migration and cross-border crime. The purpose of this article is to analyze the phenomenon of cross-border crime and to discuss the activities undertaken by the Border Guard in order to combat illegal migration and crime. The study takes into account statistical data for the first half of 2022 confirming the effectiveness of the Border Guard. The structure and dynamics of cross-border crime proves that border crime is strongly influenced by immigration, and - in the case of Poland - it is much higher on the eastern part of the state border (external EU border). The government’s concerns about illegal migration are not unfounded, as illegal migration is closely related to the activities of organized crime groups, including smuggling of weapons, drugs, human trafficking and other types of crime that affect the state of security of the state.