The Podlaski Border Guard published an incident report on 28 September detailing multiple enforcement cases at temporary checkpoints in Budzisko and Ogrodniki over the preceding weekend (25-27 September). Officers apprehended three individuals wanted on arrest warrants, issued two return-orders to foreign nationals and detected two counterfeit driving licences—one Latvian, one Ukrainian. Among those sanctioned were two Colombian citizens: one had exceeded his 90/180-day visa-free entitlement in the Schengen Area, while the other had taken up illegal employment. Both received administrative decisions obliging them to leave Poland and triggering five-year Schengen re-entry bans. The sweep illustrates Poland’s intensified post-pandemic focus on compliance at the formerly open Lithuanian border, where temporary controls were introduced last April. Border Guard commanders say forged EU documents from third-country nationals transiting via the Baltic States are on the rise, prompting closer scrutiny of buses, vans and private cars. For HR teams seconding staff between Baltic offices, the message is clear: ensure travellers carry original passports, valid residence permits and employment contracts. Failure to do so can now result in instant removal orders and corporate fines. Logistics operators should also anticipate occasional delays as mixed-traffic lanes are shut for deeper inspections. Legal advisers note that the Colombians’ case confirms Poland’s August regulation barring citizens of Georgia, Colombia and Venezuela from taking up work under visa-free stays. Employers must verify that nationals of those countries obtain appropriate work permits or EU-wide ICT cards before assignment to Poland.
Source: Podlaski Border Guard
