About immigrants in Police. Councillors adopt compromise position

At Monday's session of the City Council in Police, the most moving item on the agenda for residents was the draft resolution of the Law and Justice councilors' club on adopting a position on opposing the establishment of Foreigner Integration Centers in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and the relocation of illegal migrants. Several dozen residents came to express their opinion on the matter. MP Dariusz Matecki was also present.

Before the session, the mayor of Police, Krystian Kowalewski, came out to the residents and MP Dariusz Matecki, gathered in front of the City Hall in Police. After a short, already quite stormy, conversation, everyone went to the session hall. There, MP Dariusz Matecki (Law and Justice) presented his position regarding the opposition to the creation of Integration Centers for foreigners in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and the relocation of illegal migrants. In his speech, he sharply criticized the current migration policy, expressing concerns about safety and social consequences.

Matecki on illegal migration

Dariusz Matecki, addressing the councillors (KO politicians left the chamber during the MP's speech) and residents, emphasised that although the problem of mass migration may not directly concern Police today, this may change tomorrow. As an example, he gave a recent incident in Szczecin, where migrants from Somalia camped on Mickiewicza Street for four hours, and the police were supposed to let them into the city after an intervention. The MP also showed documents issued to migrants on the Polish-German border (including in Lubieszyn and Rosówek), on which they all had the same date of birth entered - 1 January - and "Polen" as the country from which they allegedly crossed the border into Germany.

Matecki accused the Polish Border Guard of accepting virtually all migrants from Germany for the past year and a half, unlike Italy, which refuses in most cases. He cited data from the Bundestag, according to which several thousand people have flown into Poland from Germany. He stressed that these are mainly young men, often unidentified, from countries with a high crime rate, such as Somalia. He noted that these people are not placed in closed centers, but released into the city, which, in his opinion, endangers the safety of residents. He mentioned reports of taking pictures of children on Lake Głębokie and migrants camping in sleeping bags near playgrounds.

The MP warned about the consequences of the entry into force of the EU Migration Pact, which, in his opinion, may force municipalities, including Police, to present places for relocating illegal migrants. He also shared his predictions that if the pact is introduced, social benefits for migrants in EU countries will be equalized, which may mean that they will receive higher benefits than Polish pensioners or employees earning the national minimum wage.

Dariusz Matecki, as vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Team of the Border Defense Movement, appealed to councilors to adopt a resolution expressing opposition to mass and illegal migration and the establishment of Foreigner Integration Centers. He emphasized that this resolution is an expression of the voice of residents and is to be a "pebble in an avalanche" that will force the government to fight illegal migration and introduce controls on German borders.

Bubiłek on the position of PiS councillors

Councillor Waldemar Bubiłek (PiS), presenting the position of this club, emphasised:

- It (the resolution - ed.) is a response to the numerous firm voices of our residents, who express deep concern related to the nature of illegal immigrants coming from Africa and Asia, from the West, especially from Germany - said the councilor. - Residents fear that Poland may repeat the negative experiences of Western European countries: an increase in crime, the formation of gangs, a decrease in the sense of safety on the streets.

Bubiłek pointed out that the planned centers in Szczecin, just a dozen or so kilometers from Police, pose a "real risk of illegal migrants also appearing in Police." The PiS club also appeals for symmetrical actions towards the German services.

- Since Germany has introduced border controls, we expect that Polish services will also consistently defend our border against illegal transfer of migrants to the Polish side - said councilor Bubiłek. - It is our duty to listen to citizens and act in the interest of the safety of the local community.

Molenda on the position of KO councillors

In response, Councilor Jadwiga Molenda (KO) read out the position of the Civic Coalition Council Club, which "resolutely opposes political actions and attempts to make political capital at the expense of people who need real help". The councilor accused the opponents of manipulation and actions "based on stirring up the primal fear of another stranger", which she considered "harmful and disgusting", hitting both the needy and the residents themselves. She assessed the behavior of MP Matecki as "irresponsible, harmful and striking at public order".

Molenda explained that conceptual work on introducing models of integration of foreigners in Poland began in 2017 as part of projects of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, financed from EU funds. The current concept, assuming the construction of 49 integration centers in former provincial cities, is a continuation of these activities, and two such centers will be created in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship: in Szczecin and Koszalin. The councilor emphasized that these are places where "foreigners legally staying in Poland will receive assistance in the scope of Polish regulations, culture, and above all the opportunity to learn". She emphasized that the problem of immigration and integration is a fact, and only "systemic, wise and consistent action can bring the desired effects". She also pointed to the government's "security strategy", which assumes the integration of immigrants in society, provided that they accept the norms and principles in force in Poland.©℗

More on this topic in “Kurier Szczeciński” and eKurier of 24/06/2025.

Text and film by Agnieszka Spirydowicz