The Polish Parliament (Sejm) passed an amendment to the Act on the Protection of the State Border, which makes it possible to prohibit staying in the border area. Pursuant to the regulation, such a ban would be introduced for a specified period of time by way of an ordinance of the Minister of Interior and Administration, after consulting the head of the Border Guard.

The new act is to increase the effectiveness of actions taken by the Border Guard to protect the state border of the Republic of Poland in the event of a threat to state security or public order and to improve the safety of Border Guard officers who perform tasks related to the defence of the state border.

The act introduces a temporary ban on staying in a specific area of ​​the border zone.

The prohibition does not apply to „emergency medical vehicles and other intervention services as well as people transported in these vehicles in connection with the activities conducted by these crews or services; people moving directly to entities performing medical activities, officers and employees of state services as well as soldiers and employees of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland performing official tasks„. 

Exceptions also apply to civilians, primarily residents of the area prohibited to stay, people working in this area, students or people using border crossings.

The act also extends the catalogue of direct coercive measures that can be used by Border Guard officers such as the use of specific compliance weapons.

Source: tvp.info

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen

Photo: Twitter @Straz_Graniczna