Warsaw ready for joint border control with Ukraine on Polish territory

The Polish government has announced its readiness to allow Ukrainian law enforcement and customs authorities to conduct joint border control on Polish territory. Such a decision may be made if the security situation in Ukraine deteriorates. This initiative is being considered as a protective measure to preserve the lives of border crossing point staff and travellers who are under threat from Russian shelling.

Warsaw’s response to security challenges

Possible changes to the procedure for crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border became known from an official response by the Ministry of Interior and Administration of Poland. The ministry noted that transferring control procedures to the Polish side may become necessary if the danger on Ukrainian territory increases.

The main priority in this situation is preserving the health and lives of border guards, customs officers, and citizens travelling between the two countries. The Polish side confirmed that it is ready to support such a mechanism if circumstances require additional security measures.

«Якщо ситуація в Україні зміниться і з міркувань безпеки співробітників та осіб, які перетинають кордон, виникне необхідність запровадження контролю на польському боці, Польща готова погодитися на таке рішення. Процедура базуватиметься на спільному контролі обох країн» (If the situation in Ukraine changes and, for the safety of staff and persons crossing the border, there is a need to introduce control on the Polish side, Poland is ready to agree to such a decision. The procedure will be based on joint control by both countries), the ministry explained.

Restrictions on Ukrainian services in Poland

Despite Warsaw’s readiness to cooperate, certain legislative restrictions apply to Ukrainian border and customs authorities. Polish legislation and Schengen Area regulations do not allow representatives of states that are not members to unilaterally carry out control procedures on Polish territory.

In particular, Ukrainian officials will not have the right to check the documents of people crossing the border without the participation of their Polish counterparts. Similar rules apply to the inspection of cargo and the verification of goods for compliance with European Union requirements.

Thus, if the initiative is implemented, it will involve the joint work of the relevant services of the two states. In addition, introducing such a mechanism will require mandatory notification of the European Commission, as the changes concern the functioning of the Schengen Area.

Meanwhile, there is currently no final agreement on transferring border control.

Context: delays at the border

It was previously known that significant delays had arisen at the Ukrainian-Polish border due to Russian attacks and air raid alerts. In particular, at the Yagodin – Dorohusk crossing point, waiting times for lorries reached 40 hours due to periodic suspensions in vehicle processing.