New Policy Brief by GAPs Members Calls for a More Systematic Approach to Return Migration Policies in Poland
Warsaw, November 2025 - A new CMR Spotlight policy brief authored by members of the Horizon Europe project GAPs – De-centring the Study of Migrant Returns and Readmission Policies in Europe and Beyond sheds light on key shortcomings in Poland’s return migration system and calls for a more systematic, rights-based approach to return governance.
The publication, titled “The Policies of Return Migration in Poland: A Need for a More Systematic Approach,” was prepared by Mateusz Krępa, Marta Pachocka, Tomasz Sieniow, Anna Trylińska, and Marta Jaroszewicz of the Centre of Migration Research (CMR), University of Warsaw. It forms part of the GAPs project’s ongoing comparative research on return and readmission policies across Europe and beyond.
Drawing on legal analysis, desk research, and in-depth interviews conducted in both Poland and Georgia, the authors identify three main categories of gaps in Poland’s return system - legal, institutional, and infrastructural. Among these, legal gaps stand out as the most significant, particularly concerning the implementation of the EU Return Directive and the protection of migrants’ fundamental rights.
The study highlights several pressing issues, including pushbacks at the Belarus border, limited access to legal remedies and free legal assistance, excessive use of detention, and automatic application of entry bans. These practices, the authors note, undermine both the efficiency and human rights compliance of the Polish return system.
At the same time, the brief identifies Georgia as a promising example of constructive cooperation with returnees’ countries of origin, thanks to its reintegration programmes. Yet, the authors emphasize that Poland’s current approach remains fragmented, lacking the systematic framework needed to balance effective enforcement with adequate protection of migrants’ rights.
The policy brief concludes with eight concrete policy recommendations aimed at addressing these gaps and ensuring that Poland’s return governance aligns with both European standards and international human rights principles.
The full policy brief is available for download as CMR Spotlight 10 (76) on the Centre of Migration Research website, here:
https://www.migracje.uw.edu.pl/publikacje/gaps-policy-brief-the-policies-of-return-migration-in-poland-a-need-for-a-more-systematic-approach-2/
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