The Karpacki Division of the Polish Border Guard has expelled two Vietnamese nationals who were found working illegally during a routine labour-law inspection of a restaurant in Skarżysko-Kamienna on 24 July. Officers discovered that the men’s residence cards were either expired or listed for seizure in Schengen databases, and that neither held the work permits required under Poland’s Act on Conditions of Employment of Foreigners. Both workers received return-order decisions combined with 12-month entry bans covering the entire Schengen Area. The employer was fined PLN 6 000 (approx. EUR 1 350) for violating Article 120 of the Labour Code, which makes companies jointly liable for ensuring proper immigration status before hiring non-EU nationals. The case illustrates Poland’s tightening enforcement environment ahead of the full roll-out of the digital Entry/Exit System (EES) later this year. Border Guard units have stepped up on-site checks, focusing on gastronomy and construction—sectors that together employ over 40 % of non-EU workers in Poland. Multinational HR departments have been advised to audit internal record-keeping, as inspectors now cross-check residence data against EU-wide registers in real time. For Vietnamese assignees and their Polish sponsors the incident is a cautionary tale: while Poland has streamlined Type D visa processes for priority markets such as IT and engineering, any lapse in renewals can trigger immediate removal and loss of Schengen mobility privileges. Employers of third-country nationals are reminded that remote-work arrangements from inside Poland still require underlying work authorisations unless specific treaty exemptions apply. Legal advisers expect more mid-sized firms to outsource immigration compliance to specialist providers as fines—and reputational risks—continue to rise. The Border Guard has hinted at sector-wide inspections in the run-up to Christmas, traditionally the busiest season for the hospitality industry.
