Silesia’s regional Border Guard command announced on 23 September that its officers had apprehended 28 foreigners lacking valid residence or work documents during a three-day inspection sweep. The operation focused on industrial parks around Bielsko-Biała, Katowice-Pyrzowice airport and logistics centres that hire large numbers of short-term contractors. Those detained include Chinese, Brazilian, Colombian and Ukrainian nationals. One Brazilian had overstayed by 326 days, while two Colombians were discovered working without permits in an automotive subcontractor. Officers also intercepted a Chinese national carrying an invalid Hungarian residence card and another who claimed to have lost his Spanish visa. All 28 individuals have been served administrative-removal decisions and entry bans ranging from six months to three years. The case underlines Poland’s tougher stance on employer compliance introduced in the April 2026 amendment to the Act on Employment of Foreigners, which raised penalties for hiring without work authorisation to PLN 30 000 per worker. Labour inspectors accompanied the Border Guard and are now reviewing the companies’ HR files; fines or criminal referrals could follow. For multinationals relying on just-in-time staffing, the message is clear: keep digital copies of work permits and residence titles on site, ensure subcontractors do the same, and audit Spanish or Hungarian documents that may not grant Polish work rights. With Silesia poised to host new battery-plant investments, authorities say random checks will continue weekly. Immigration advisers recommend that employers shift to the new MOS electronic platform for residence-permit applications to gain real-time status updates and minimise overstays that can trigger costly disruptions like this sweep.
Source: Śląski Oddział Straży Granicznej
