Border control to be preserved for non-EU citizens even after introduction of Schengen regulations

“The priorities of frontier guard will remain the same after the introduction of Schengen regulations in Poland”, - claimed the head commandant of the Polish frontier guards Miroslaw Kusmerchak. There will be no passport control but frontier guards will continue preventing smuggling and illegal migration. 10 new EU countries will be included in the Schengen Agreement on January 1, 2008. Border control between Poland, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia and Lithuania will be removed. “Only citizens of the Schengen area states and people having Schengen visas will be able to cross borders freely”, – noted the commandant.

People trying to cross borders without a Schengen visa will be considered illegal migrants. Frontier guards will be controlling borderlands, roads leading to borders and international routes. Their main tasks will be checking validity of documents and legality of foreigners’ residence.