Polish-German Border Enforcement Relies on Human Judgment
Why this is here: The study involved six months of on-site observation, allowing the researcher to witness firsthand the complex realities faced by border patrol officers and the impact of their discretionary power.
A new University of Leiden study reveals Polish border guards base decisions on personal experience and assessment, not just laws. Researcher Maryla Klajn conducted six months of field research along the Polish-German border, gaining access with the help of the Dutch Marechaussee.
Klajn investigated the intersection of criminal and immigration law—known as “crimmigration”—and the actions of Polish border patrol. She initially faced distrust from the predominantly male, post-communist era guards. Building rapport through a shared love of dogs helped her gain their confidence and access to their work.
The research, part of a larger Vidi project, shows border police determine who passes freely, receives extra scrutiny, and is stopped, influenced by culture, emotion, gender, history, and faith. Klajn observed manipulation, fear, and pressure on guards who worried about job security, but sought to maintain a human perspective in her analysis.