The EU-mandated scheme, which records the movements of non-EU nationals entering and leaving the Schengen area, was launched across Europe on 12 October.
Poland began its rollout the same day at the Medyka–Shehyni road crossing and the Przemyśl–Mostyska rail checkpoint on the border with Ukraine, expanding it gradually in the following weeks.
"We are witnessing a digital revolution at our border posts," Kierwiński told reporters.
"This is a milestone for the security of our border traffic."
The minister said the system provides unified EU-wide identification of travellers from third countries and is fully electronic, using fingerprints and facial recognition.
"This is crucial for combating illegal migration, preventing unauthorised entry and detecting travellers using fraudulent documents," he added.
According to the interior ministry, Polish border guards have logged nearly 600,000 crossings by third-country nationals since the domestic rollout began.
EES will be introduced at all road, rail, air and sea border crossings in Poland within the next two weeks by December 4, Kierwiński said.
The system is expected to reach full functionality across all participating EU states at the beginning of April 2026.
EES stores personal data from travel documents, biometrics, entry and exit timestamps and locations, as well as any recorded refusals of entry.
The database enables authorities to verify the legality of an individual’s stay and will replace manual passport stamping for non-EU visitors.
The EU agreed to launch the integrated EES platform during Poland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the official start of operations scheduled for October 2025.
(ał)
Source: PAP