which there are around 1.5 million illegal migrants from Southern & Central Asia and Africa on Russian territory44. According to Ukrainian information, there are from some tens of thousands up to one million illegal migrants in Ukraine45. It should be remembered that politicians from the CIS tend to over-estimate the numbers of illegal migrants. Although the illegal transit migra-tion through the territory of the former URSS seems to threaten the security in Poland and the EU, it is not as massive as the wave of migration through the Southern Europe.
The border statistics constitute an important source of information, which could help in grasping the dynamics of irregular migration. Analysis of the data provided by border services enables us to assess the real size of this phe-nomenon, as people from outside the CIS often cross borders illegally. Citizens of the CIS countries usually do not have problems with legal entrance onto the territories of other post-Soviet countries. As Russian statistics show, over the past 10 years the number of people arrested when attempting to cross the border illegally has definitely increased. Ukrainian statistics from recent years indicate a relatively stable yet high number of arrests of illegal migrants (around 30,000 people per year, who have been arrested when attempting to cross the border and on the territory of Ukraine)46. It is difficult to judge un-ambiguously whether this situation results from an increase in the threat of illegal migration, or whether it can be explained by an improved efficiency of supervision on individual border sections. At the same time, it should be remembered that the borders inside the CIS area, which are most exposed to illegal migration, are barely protected.
Illegal immigrants usually enter the CIS area through Central Asian coun-tries, and less frequently through the Southern Caucasian countries. Next, in most cases they go to Russia, then Ukraine, Belarus or the Baltic states; from there they try to get to Western European countries. Sometimes they fly in directly to Ukraine or Belarus from their countries of origin, or from Central Asian countries or Turkey. Migrants travelling by land prefer borders which for different reasons are entirely unprotected or insufficiently protected, thus the
PartII. General trends 51
44International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Overview of the Migration Systems in the CIS Countries, Vienna, September 2005, page 199.
45For more information refer to Part III, Country Analysis on Ukraine.
46See International Centre for Policy Studies, Institute for Public Affairs, White paper: Ukraine’s migration policy to control illegal migration, Draft for Discussion, June 2006, page 9.
Russian/Kazakh border, the Russian/Ukrainian border, the Russian/Belarusian border, or the Ukrainian/Belarusian border. Meanwhile, the most popular air-ports are those which control documents less strictly, or air-ports which are so large that groups of migrants travelling West do not generate a great atten-tion. Also, airports in countries which have a relatively liberal visa policy, are very popular.
Whereas in the past, illegal migrants on their way to the European Union most often used the Polish/Ukrainian border, the Ukrainian/Slovak border is currently more popular. Illegal migrants on their way to the Baltic states most often cross the Belarusian/Lithuanian border. On the Polish territory, most people are arrested by the border guards on the Polish/German border, how-ever the number of arrests on the Ukrainian border has been increasing (see Table 12). The number of migrants from Southern Asia detained when at-tempting to cross the border illegally is falling (apart from Vietnamese citizens).
Meanwhile, the number of citizens from the CIS countries attempting to make their way through illegally remains relatively stable.
The statistics provided by local border guards and the Ministries of Interiors show that the citizens of China, Afghanistan, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangla-desh are most often involved in illegal transit migration. Usually, inhabitants of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Iraq (principally Kurds) transit though the Southern Caucasian countries (mainly Azerbaijan). Migrants from Afgha-nistan, China, Vietnam enter Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe mainly viathe Central Asian countries.
Migrants usually enter the first transit country on the CIS territory legally, or on the basis of forged documents, and then illegally attempt to cross sub-sequent state borders by bus or by rail, and sometimes on foot. Migrants often use tourist or student visas to get into the CIS area. Migrants from countries located close to the CIS frequently try to cross the border illegally. Organised crime groups, which operate as tourist offices and prepare forged documents and transfer channels, is very popular. Transit migration has a well-organ-ised character, as migrants rarely travel alone, usually in groups formed by criminal structures. The transfer channels for illegal migrants are also used for human trafficking, especially in women, who are then forced to work as prostitutes or to a lesser extent forced workers in Western countries.
PartII. General trends52
PartII. General trends 53
Year 2003
2004
2005
Total number of detained
5662
5762
4526
Foreigners 3592
4472
3598
Detained on individual sections of the border with Russia: 80 with Belarus: 44 with Ukraine: 807 with Lithuania: 110 with Slovakia: 420 with Czech Republic: 1110 with Germany: 2706 On the sea border: 60 On the air border: 226
with Russia: 62 with Belarus: 72 with Ukraine: 659 with Lithuania: 62 with Slovakia: 231 with Czech Republic: 1131 with Germany: 3168 On the sea border: 77 On the air border: 215
with Russia: 39 with Belarus: 114 with Ukraine: 931 with Lithuania: 40 with Slovakia: 232 with Czech Republic: 887 with Germany: 1848 On the sea border: 76 On the air border: 224
Detained according to natio-nality (selected countries) Afghanistan: 140 Armenia: 41 Belarus: 56 China: 195 Georgia: 21 India: 216 Iraq: 28 Moldova: 144 Pakistan: 161 Russia: 310 Ukraine: 873 Vietnam: 243 Afghanistan: 45 Armenia: 80 Belarus: 101 China: 218 Georgia: 59 India: 93 Iraq: 12 Moldova: 276 Pakistan: 143 Russia: 557 Ukraine: 1884 Vietnam: 146 Afghanistan: 7 Armenia: 70 Belarus: 98 Georgia: 66 Georgia: 86 India: 7 Iraq: 10 Moldova: 355 Pakistan: 35 Russia: 456 Ukraine: 1388 Vietnam: 325 Table 12. Detained for illegal crossing of the Polish state border in the period 2003–2005
Data of the Border Guard of the Republic of Poland