Organised groups of Romanians went mushroom picking in forests in south-eastern Poland in the second half of October. Residents objected to their presence and alerted the authorities. Police, border police and tax inspectors then began checks.
Officers identified almost 250 people and inspected more than 60 vehicles, looking at the legality of the Romanians’ stay, their documents and the technical condition of the cars. They also found breaches of public order and of rules on driving into the forest. On 21 October, the Krosno Regional Forest Directorate said locals had reported a large, organised presence of pickers who had come from abroad.
The groups sometimes numbered several dozen people and gathered in forest car parks or camping areas. Romanians were driven into the forest in the morning and collected in the afternoon by cars registered in Romania. According to Fakt.pl, the mushrooms were sorted, packed into crates and taken across the border.
Police recorded seven contraventions. In Poland, driving into a forest without permission is punishable by law. A police representative said the joint actions were meant to check whether the visitors’ stay in Poland was legal, whether public-order rules and road legislation were being followed, and whether any of those stopped were wanted.
Unauthorised entry into a forest by car can bring a fine of up to 500 zloty and three to six penalty points. If the case reaches court, the fine can rise to 5,000 zloty. Damage to vegetation can lead to further penalties.