---
title: "For a catfish — back home: how a Ukrainian was deported from Poland for poaching and animal cruelty"
description: "A Ukrainian was deported from Poland for catching a 40-kilogram catfish during a prohibited period. 🐟🚫 The man was charged with poaching and animal cruelty, and banned from entering the Schengen Zone for 5 years. The scandal erupted after the publication of a video showing the fish being dragged across the ground."
date: 2026-06-05T15:02:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/deportation-of-ukrainian-from-poland-for-catfish-en
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# For a catfish — back home: how a Ukrainian was deported from Poland for poaching and animal cruelty

![Armed border guards and military personnel in yellow vests stand on railway tracks in Poland, ensuring security in the context of deporting a Ukrainian for poaching](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/05/depatriatsiya-ukrainca-iz-polshi-za-sooma/depatriatsiya-ukrainca-iz-polshi-za-sooma-1.webp)

A scandal has erupted in Poland involving a 57-year-old Ukrainian citizen. The man was deported from the country and issued a five-year ban on entering the Schengen Zone. The reason for such decisive action was not a political crime, but an incident involving the catching of a large catfish in Warsaw.

### Scandal at Balaton Lake

The situation garnered widespread attention after videos and photos appeared on social media from Balaton Lake, located in the Gocław district of Warsaw. The footage captures the moment when men pull a gigantic fish out of the water and transport it over land, depriving it of access to water.

According to Polish media, the caught catfish was of impressive size: its length exceeded 170 centimeters, and its weight reached approximately 40 kilograms. Witnesses claim that after being caught, the fish was dragged across the ground and then loaded into the trunk of a passenger car.

### Two charges and the threat of prison

The Polish police initiated a criminal case, charging the detainee under two articles. The first violation concerns fishing regulations: the fish was caught during a strict protection period. In Poland, from January 1 to May 31, there is a ban on catching catfish. Additionally, the regulations of the Masovian Voivodeship of the Polish Anglers' Union prohibit fishing from watercraft.

The second charge is animal cruelty. Transporting a large fish without access to water was deemed by law enforcement as an act of cruelty. For the combination of these actions, the man faces up to three years of imprisonment.

### Instant deportation

After the completion of procedural actions, the police handed the detainee over to the Border Guard. Law enforcement officials filed a request for a return decision, arguing that the man's further stay in Poland poses a threat to public order.

The Polish Border Guard reacted instantly. Already the next day, a decision was made to forcibly return the Ukrainian without granting a period for voluntary departure. On the same day, the man was taken to the border crossing point in Dorohusk and handed over to Ukrainian border guards. Additionally, he was banned from re-entering Poland and other Schengen countries for five years.

### Context of tightening migration control

This case occurred against the backdrop of a general tightening of migration policy in the region. Earlier, it was reported that the European Union intended to review the rules for deporting illegal migrants, as current mechanisms are considered insufficiently effective. The European Commission proposes introducing stricter requirements for persons subject to expulsion.

Also, Poland recently conducted a large-scale special operation against illegal migration and persons evading justice. During raids across the country, more than 140 foreigners were detained, the majority of whom were Ukrainian citizens. Some of them have already received a decision on forced return to their homeland.