On Wednesday, 30 October the Minister of the Interior and Administration, Coordinator of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak was joined by Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Community for a visit to the Polish-Belarusian border. The politicians held a press conference at the Połowce-Pyaschatka border crossing in Podlasie, concerning the issue of security along the Polish-Belarusian border - the external border of the European Union.

Today, Tomasz Siemioniak, Minister of the Interior and Administration and the Coordinator of Special Services, met with the German Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser. Their conversation was focused on the instrumental use of migration, cooperation between Polish and German authorities, as well as the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Deputy Minister Maciej Duszczyk and German Ambassador to Poland Viktor Elbling also attended the meeting.

This Wednesday (23 October), a conference summarising the ‘Interior Affairs’ Programme of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration was held within the framework of the 3rd edition of the Norwegian Funds from 2014–2021 was held in Warsaw. Minister Tomasz Siemoniak and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Espen Barth Eide attended the event, joined by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration Wiesław Szczepański, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Konrad Wojnarowski and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Poland Øystein Bø.

On Thursday, 10 October, the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council met in Luxembourg. Poland was represented by Maciej Duszczyk, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration.

In the nearly 90-day-long period following the establishment of the buffer zone along the Polish-Belarusian border, the number of irregular border crossing attempts dropped by 64%. This confirms the effectiveness of this solution and justifies its implementation. The Minister of the Interior and Administration signed a regulation extending the temporary restrictions limiting freedom of movement within the designated area adjacent to the Belarusian border. The regulation will take effect as of Wednesday, 11 September 2024.

On Wednesday, 7 August 2024, Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak met with Ryuji Koizumi, Minister of Justice of Japan. The meeting concerned the current situation on the border with Belarus. The ministers also discussed the challenges associated with taking in Ukrainian refugees and collaboration geared towards helping Poland’s eastern neighbour.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), with headquarters in Warsaw, and Polish authorities, led by the Polish Ministry of the Interior, this week engaged in a Simulation Exercise which aimed to test the adequateness of the national contingency plan for border guarding at the country’s external borders.

After a six-year-long break, the first Polish-German intergovernmental consultations took place on Tuesday, 2 July, chaired by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz. During the consultations, the Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak met with the German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser.

On Monday, 1 July 2024, the provisions of the so-called Assistance Act (Act of 12 March 2022 on rendering assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the military conflict on the territory of Ukraine) are changing. The legality of Ukrainian citizens’ stay in Poland is extended. The new regulations also concern tools to support people under temporary protection. The new legislation was prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, in cooperation with other ministries – the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The new legislation is the outcome of extensive consultations with NGOs, local government officials and state institutions.