The Nadodrzański Border Guard District confirmed on 23 June 2026 that officers from the Zielona Góra post had detained 13 Nepali citizens during a workplace-compliance sweep in Krosno County. All thirteen possessed expired Croatian residence cards and admitted entering Poland by coach from the Czech Republic to look for seasonal work.
![Thirteen Nepali nationals apprehended in western Poland for overstaying Schengen limit]()
To navigate the rules that caught out these workers, employers and travellers can draw on the expertise of VisaHQ. Through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), VisaHQ provides real-time visa intelligence, compliance checklists and application handling services, helping companies verify documentation and individuals secure the correct permits before they cross a Schengen border.
Under Articles 302 and 303 of Poland’s Act on Foreigners, the group received administrative return decisions and one-year bans on re-entering the Schengen Area. Border Guard spokesperson Małgorzata Potoczna said the swift action was meant to “send a clear signal to employers that irregular third-country workers will not be tolerated,” adding that similar inspections will intensify ahead of the summer harvest period. The case underscores a wider compliance risk for European companies that rely on subcontracted labour. Since January, Polish authorities have prioritised inland controls rather than border-point checks, leveraging the national PESEL and MOS 2.0 databases to flag overstays. According to Interior Ministry figures, over 2,800 foreign nationals have been served return orders in the first half of 2026—a 14 percent increase year-on-year. For global mobility managers the message is two-fold: verify that any non-EU staff moving within Schengen hold a still-valid residence permit issued by the first member state of entry, and build extra lead time into project schedules in case workers are stopped for identity checks. Companies hiring through Polish temp agencies should demand proof of legal right to work, as fines for “facilitating illegal stay” now run up to PLN 30,000 per worker. The incident also illustrates how secondary movement within Schengen can trigger cascading bans that affect future postings across Europe, reminding HR teams to track days-in-territory and permit validity for assignees based in multi-country projects.
To navigate the rules that caught out these workers, employers and travellers can draw on the expertise of VisaHQ. Through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), VisaHQ provides real-time visa intelligence, compliance checklists and application handling services, helping companies verify documentation and individuals secure the correct permits before they cross a Schengen border.
Under Articles 302 and 303 of Poland’s Act on Foreigners, the group received administrative return decisions and one-year bans on re-entering the Schengen Area. Border Guard spokesperson Małgorzata Potoczna said the swift action was meant to “send a clear signal to employers that irregular third-country workers will not be tolerated,” adding that similar inspections will intensify ahead of the summer harvest period. The case underscores a wider compliance risk for European companies that rely on subcontracted labour. Since January, Polish authorities have prioritised inland controls rather than border-point checks, leveraging the national PESEL and MOS 2.0 databases to flag overstays. According to Interior Ministry figures, over 2,800 foreign nationals have been served return orders in the first half of 2026—a 14 percent increase year-on-year. For global mobility managers the message is two-fold: verify that any non-EU staff moving within Schengen hold a still-valid residence permit issued by the first member state of entry, and build extra lead time into project schedules in case workers are stopped for identity checks. Companies hiring through Polish temp agencies should demand proof of legal right to work, as fines for “facilitating illegal stay” now run up to PLN 30,000 per worker. The incident also illustrates how secondary movement within Schengen can trigger cascading bans that affect future postings across Europe, reminding HR teams to track days-in-territory and permit validity for assignees based in multi-country projects.
