Last updated: 12.02.2026
International Organizations in Poland
International cooperation plays a central role in the enforcement of criminal and immigration law in Poland, particularly in cases involving cross-border crime, extradition, and the detention of foreign nationals. Institutions such as Interpol, Europol, and Eurojust form an essential framework through which Polish authorities cooperate with other states and international bodies in combating serious crime and managing migration-related risks.
Understanding the legal nature of Interpol notices, the scope of police cooperation, and the procedures applicable in Poland is crucial for individuals facing detention, extradition, or proceedings under the European Arrest Warrant. Below, we present the key international organizations, legal mechanisms, and practical consequences relevant to criminal and migration-related cases in Poland.
Interpol as an international law enforcement organization
Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, plays a key role in coordinating police cooperation between nearly all countries worldwide and currently brings together 196 member states. Its primary objective is to support national law enforcement authorities in combating international crime, including
- terrorism,
- human trafficking,
- drug and arms trafficking,
- cybercrime,
- financial crime,
- as well as in locating individuals who evade justice by crossing national borders.
Interpol does not have its own powers to detain or arrest individuals. Operational activities are carried out exclusively by national law enforcement agencies, while Interpol’s task is to create a secure and efficient platform for the rapid exchange of information and the provision of operational support to Polish authorities and other EU member states.
Main areas of Interpol’s activity
The organization’s core tasks include:
- Exchange of criminal information – Interpol facilitates the transmission of data relating to crimes and offenders, including fingerprints, photographs, information on stolen identity documents, vehicles, and works of art.
- Search for persons – the organization issues so-called colour coded notices (including Red, Blue, and Yellow Notices), which are used to locate wanted persons, collect additional information, or identify missing persons and unidentified human remains.
- Combating specific categories of crime – Interpol conducts analytical and coordination activities in areas such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, economic crime, and cybercrime, often linked to criminal activity affecting migration flows across Poland’s borders and the eastern border.
- Operational and expert support – the organization provides criminal intelligence analysis and specialist expertise and, where necessary, supports member states through rapid response teams.
- Coordination of international cooperation – Interpol facilitates cooperation between police forces in different countries, including in extradition matters, always in compliance with national law and international agreements.
Interpol’s operations in Poland
In Poland, cooperation with Interpol is conducted through the National Interpol Bureau, which operates within the International Police Cooperation Bureau of the National Police Headquarters and cooperates closely with the Polish Border Guard and border guard units responsible for border control on Polish territory. This unit is responsible for transmitting requests to foreign authorities and receiving information from abroad.
Where a person is sought by Polish law enforcement authorities and there is reason to believe that the individual is located outside Poland, the National Interpol Bureau may request the publication of a Red Notice. This constitutes an international alert addressed to police services in other countries for the purpose of locating the individual and potentially detaining them, always in accordance with the law applicable in the state concerned.
Interpol notices and diffusions
Interpol notices and diffusions are cooperation tools used by Interpol member states.
- Notice – a request for international cooperation or an international alert, published by Interpol at the request of a National Central Bureau (NCB), an international entity, or on the initiative of the Interpol General Secretariat. Notices are circulated to all Interpol member states and recorded in the relevant Interpol databases
- Diffusion – a request for international cooperation or an international alert sent directly by an NCB to one or more other NCBs and simultaneously registered in Interpol’s databases and used by Polish authorities and local authorities in cross-border cases.
Notices and diffusions are color-coded depending on their purpose.
Types of Interpol notices and diffusions
- Red Notice – a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or other similar legal action. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant and does not itself constitute a court order.Individuals subject to a Red Notice are sought by the requesting member state or an international tribunal. Each member state applies its own domestic law when deciding whether to detain the person concerned.
Most Red Notices are only available for use by law enforcement authorities.
Extracts may be made public at the request of the issuing state where public assistance is required to locate the individual or where the person may pose a threat to public safety. - Yellow Notice – a request for assistance in locating missing persons, often minors, or in identifying unidentified persons. It constitutes a global police alert and is issued in cases of parental abduction, criminal kidnapping, or unexplained disappearances.
- Blue Notice –a request to the law enforcement authorities of member countries for assistance in locating, identifying, or obtaining additional information about a person of interest to law enforcement authorities.
- Green Notice – warning about persons who have committed a crime in a given country and there is a reasonable suspicion that they may commit the same crime in other countries
- Black Notice – a request for assistance in establishing the identity of unidentified corpses or human remains
- Orange Notice – a warning about an event, person, object, or modus operandi that may pose an imminent threat to public safety.
- Purple Notice – a warning concerning methods used by criminals, as well as objects or devices employed in the commission of offences.
- Special Interpol–UN Security Council Notice/Diffusion – relating to individuals or entities subject to United Nations Security Council sanctions.
- Works of Art Notice – aimed at locating or identifying stolen or missing cultural property.
Detention in Poland on the basis of an Interpol notice – what does this mean for a foreign national under Polish immigration law and immigration regulations?
Does a Red Notice mean that extradition is automatic?
No. A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. In practice, it serves as an alert indicating that a person is sought and may be detained, but any further steps depend on Polish procedural law immigration legislation, and the decisions of the competent courts and Polish authorities.
Detention on the basis of a red notice – Does the Polish court examine the case on its merits or only formally?
In Poland, judicial review focuses primarily on the admissibility and conditions for applying preventive measures and on the applicable procedure (European Arrest Warrant or extradition). The defense concentrates on factors that may realistically influence the court’s decision in Poland in immigration matters involving third country nationals, and, where necessary, coordinates legal actions in the requesting state.
Can the use of Interpol mechanisms be challenged?
Yes. Where there are indications that Interpol mechanisms are being used for purposes other than the prosecution of serious crime-such as political disputes, repression of opposition, or family conflicts-the defense may raise arguments concerning potential human rights violations and procedural abuse, particularly in cases involving asylum seekers or individuals granted refugee status.
Who actually makes the arrest – Interpol or the Polish police?
Interpol does not make arrests. Arrests are carried out by national law enforcement authorities. Interpol functions solely as a channel for information exchange and international cooperation.
What is most important in the first hours after arrest?
From a defense perspective, it is crucial to promptly determine the legal basis for detention (European Arrest Warrant, extradition request, Red Notice or diffusion), identify the requesting state, and assess whether there are grounds for continued deprivation of liberty in Poland. In practice, ensuring access to an interpreter, medical care and contact with consular authorities is also essential.
Is it possible to leave detention immediately after arrest on the basis of a note/European Arrest Warrant (EAW)?
In many cases, the court decides to apply further measures, such as pre-trial detention. The defense’s task is to promptly present arguments in favor of less restrictive measures, where permissible, and to challenge the grounds for continued detention.
What does the defense lawyer do from the the outset?
Typically, legal assistance includes reviewing the documentation and grounds for detention, liaising with the authorities, preparing submissions for court hearings, securing an interpreter, contacting family members and consular services, and-where the case involves an EAW or extradition-coordinating with lawyers in the requesting country and other EU countries.
Note and diffusion – does it matter in the defense?
Yes – it affects what documents are in circulation and how quickly you need to respond.
In practice, the defense checks, among other things, whether the arrest was based on a formally published note or on diffusion, what is the scope of the sought actions (determining the whereabouts vs. arrest), and whether there is information available to assess whether the case is not abusive (e.g., political or repressive).
Europol
Europol is an agency of the European Union whose mission is to support Member States in preventing and combating all forms of serious international crime and terrorism. Importantly, Europol is not an operational body with executive powers; its officers cannot carry out arrests or searches. Its primary role is to act as the EU’s criminal intelligence hub and a support platform for national law enforcement authorities.
Europol also operates, among other initiatives:
- the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC);
- criminal intelligence and analytical activities (including SOCTA – the Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment); and
- Joint Action Days (JADs).
Poland cooperates with Europol through the Europol National Unit, and this cooperation is based on a two-way exchange of information.
Europol also analyses crime trends within the EU and assesses the needs of Member States. While it supports national investigations, Europol officers do not initiate proceedings or arrest individuals. Its work typically concerns offences requiring cross-border cooperation within and beyond the EU. Crime priorities are set under the EMPACT framework.
EMPACT is a structured, multidisciplinary cooperation platform for combating serious and organised international crime. It is led by Member States and supported by EU institutions, bodies, and agencies in line with their respective mandates.
Europol’s operational focus includes, in particular:
- illicit drugs;
- trafficking in human beings;
- facilitation of illegal entry and residence;
- cybercrime;
- counterfeiting of euro banknotes and coins;
- VAT fraud;
- money laundering and asset tracing;
- mobile organised crime groups;
- intellectual property crime;
- cigarette smuggling;
- organised motorcycle gangs; and terrorism.
Eurojust
The European Union also operates Eurojust – the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation.
Eurojust is composed of prosecutors, judges, and other judicial authorities delegated by each Member State. Its role is to support and strengthen coordination and cooperation between national investigative and prosecutorial authorities in combating serious cross-border crime.
Extradition and deportation procedures
Deportation
Deportation, formally referred to as an obligation to return to home country, is an administrative procedure regulated by the Act on Foreigners and EU Return Directive 2008/115/EC. A return decision may be issued, among other reasons, where a foreign national stays in Poland without valid documents, works without the required permit, crosses the border illegally, or poses a threat to national security. Deportation may also occur where the individual lacks sufficient financial means and cannot demonstrate reliable sources of income.
The return decision specifies a deadline for voluntary departure, generally between 15 and 30 days from service of the decision. In exceptional cases, the decision may be enforced immediately or extended for up to one year.
Extradition
Extradition involves surrendering a person from one state to another for the purposes of criminal prosecution or enforcement of a sentence. It is carried out pursuant to an international agreement, provided that the requesting state ensures reciprocity.
Extradition proceedings are governed by:
- the principle of double criminality, which means that the act must constitute a crime in both the requesting and the requested countries;
- the principle of specialty, according to which the extradited person may only be punished for the crimes that formed the basis for the extradition decision;
- the exclusion of the extradition of persons who enjoy the right of asylum in the country of residence.
More information on extradition you can find here.
Detention of a foreign national in Poland: EAW and Interpol
How does an EAW differ from an Interpol red notice?
The European Arrest Warrant is an EU judicial cooperation mechanism. An Interpol Red Notice, by contrast, is an information-exchange tool and does not itself determine extradition. Subsequent steps depend on whether proceedings are conducted under the EAW regime or traditional extradition rules.
Defense strategy typically depends on the requesting state, the nature of the charges, the procedural stage, the completeness of documentation, potential risks of rights violations, and the individual’s family and residence situation in Poland.
Is it possible to “block” a transfer under the EAW?
In EAW cases, the defense focuses on the grounds that may lead to a refusal to execute the warrant or limit its effects in Poland, as well as on arguments concerning isolation measures. Each case is different, which is why it is important to quickly analyze the documents, the classification of the offense, and the personal situation of the detained foreigners
What usually determines the defense strategy?
Most often: the requesting country and the type of charges, the stage of the proceedings, the completeness of the documents, the risk of procedural violations after the order is issued, the family and residence situation in Poland, and whether international protection proceedings or other administrative proceedings are pending at the same time.
European Arrest Warrant (EAW)
Within the European Union, this procedure has been significantly simplified by the introduction of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) (described in detail here)
What to do after a foreigner is detained in Poland – a practical checklist
Does the detainee have the right to an interpreter and contact with a consul?
As a rule, a foreigner should be given the opportunity to understand the proceedings and to use the services of an interpreter, and in many situations it is also possible to contact a consular office. In practice, it is worth ensuring that these rights are exercised from the outset.
How can a law firm help immediately after detention?
Most often, this includes:
- urgent intervention and contact with the unit,
- analysis of the basis for detention (ENA/extradition/note),
- preparation for the court hearing,
- applications for preventive measures,
- contact with the family,
- as well as cooperation with lawyers abroad and sworn interpreters.
Summary
International cooperation mechanisms significantly influence how criminal and immigration cases are handled in Poland, particularly where Interpol notices, extradition requests, or European Arrest Warrants are involved. Although institutions such as Interpol and Europol do not exercise executive powers, their role in information exchange and coordination may have direct consequences for individuals detained or sought by foreign authorities.
Given the complexity of these procedures and their interaction with Polish procedural law, EU regulations, and international standards, each case requires an individual legal assessment. Timely legal assistance is often decisive in protecting procedural rights, challenging detention, and determining the most effective defense strategy in cross-border criminal and immigration matters.
