Different borders - separate standards. Legal situation of migrant in Poland.

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 6. Border crossings and border control systems

Abstract

For several years, Poland has been experiencing a migration crisis, which is the result of the situation on both the Belarusian and Ukrainian sides. Despite the existence of uniform legal provisions, in practice there are two standards of service for migrants and people seeking international protection. Different experiences concern not only the migrants themselves, but also the supporters, volunteers and activists who, depending on the geographical location of their activities, are treated as friends or enemies of the system. The aim of the presentation is to show the systematic dualism in terms of the practical use of legal provisions, but also the criminological context in which Poles and foreigners staying in Poland operate. Legal solutions will be presented, which, depending on the part of border that is crossed, are applied differently by border guard authorities or even state authorities. What is most interesting from a criminological point of view, however, will be the presentation of the same activities, which criminalization or lack of legal consequences will depend on the nationality of the foreigner or the country from which he or she comes. Is is possible to criminalize humanitarian help in XXI century? Is it possible to use discriminatory factors to divide people into groups that can or cannot benefit from our help? But the most important is question about our humanity in times of global population movements.

Author

• Małgorzata Dziewanowska, Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw