Polish government approves tougher penalties for human smuggling and attacks on border officers

In brief

• Poland's cabinet adopted a draft raising penalties for organising illegal border crossings and for attacks on public officers.
• The maximum sentence for smuggling could reach 20 years in prison where the smuggled person dies.
• The minimum fine for an illegal border crossing would rise from 20 to 500 zlotys.

Stronger protection for public officers

The Council of Ministers adopted on 10 November 2026 a draft prepared by the Ministry of Justice. The changes target three areas: liability for active assaults on public officers, penalties for organising illegal border crossings, and fines for illegal crossings classed as petty offences. The government says the rules are meant to protect officers, make it harder to organise illegal crossings, and hold accountable those who endanger the lives and health of others (Surowsze kary za organizowanie nielegalnego przekraczania granicy i napaści na funkcjonariuszy – Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości).

Under current law, harsher liability applies to assaults involving a firearm, a knife or another similarly dangerous object. Lawyers and prosecutors have questioned whether particularly dangerous acts, such as an attack carried out with a vehicle, fall under these provisions. The draft would extend the rules to assaults committed in other ways that directly threaten an officer's life or health.

Tougher penalties for people smuggling

The bill raises penalties for organising illegal border crossings.

Higher fines for illegal crossings

The minimum fine for an illegal border crossing, currently 20 zlotys, would rise to 500 zlotys. That is a 25-fold increase (Wyższe kary za przemyt migrantów i większa ochrona funkcjonariuszy. Co zakładają przyjęte przez rząd przepisy? – GazetaPrawna.pl) (Dużo wyższe grzywny za nielegalne przekroczenie granicy. Nawet 25-krotny wzrost kar – Rzeczpospolita).

Context

The cabinet took up the bill at a meeting that opened with a minute of silence for six victims of a terrorist attack in Krakow on the previous Saturday (Ruszyło posiedzenie rządu. W agendzie m.in. wyższe kary za przemyt ludzi – se.pl). The same agenda included a deregulation package for businesses covering 2026 to 2028.