# Ministry of the Interior and Administration

The Ministry of the Interior and Administration (Polish: Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji) is an administration structure controlling main administration and security branches of the Polish government. After the 2011 Polish parliamentary elections, it was transformed into two ministries: Ministry of Interior (Minister: Jacek Cichocki) and Ministry of Administration and Digitization (Minister: Michał Boni). It was recreated in late 2015.

## History and function

The ministry was founded in 1918 as the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych). It has gone through several reforms, including partial splits and mergers, throughout its history.
Following the abolishing of the Ministry of Public Security in 1954, auxiliary departments, including departmental hospitals, nurseries, and the "Konsumy" retail chain, were transferred from the MBP to the Ministry of Interior, headed by Władysław Wicha. First of all, the Ministry of Internal Affairs took over the competences related to the resident registration and registration of the population, passport matters (which were soon returned to the security service), supervision over the Citizens' Militia, ORMO, KBW, and the Border Protection Force as well as the State Fire Service and the Prison Service.
On 14 July 1983 The Act "on the office of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the scope of activities of the bodies subordinate to him" was adopted; the Voivodeship Militsiya Headquarters (Polish: Komenda Wojewódzka MO) were replaced with Voivodeship Offices for Internal Affairs (Polish: Wojewódzki Urząd Spraw Wewnętrznych), and similar steps were taken at the district and regional levels.
During a reform of the Polish government in 1996, the administration branch was merged into the Ministry and it was renamed to its current name (on 24 December).

## Powers and responsibilities

Traditionally, it is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions in Poland,
The ministry is responsible for the following:
* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes
** including the major law-enforcement forces (see law enforcement in Poland)
*** the Polish National Police (Policja)
*** the Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna)
** Civil defence
*** the State Fire Brigade (Straż Pożarna)
*** Search and rescue and the oversight of ambulance services
* the granting of identity documents (Polish passports, identity cards) and driving licenses through the network of voivodeships
* relations between the central government and local governments (except in the case of regional development, which is undertaken by the Ministry of Regional Development)
* logistics and organization of political elections, at the national and voivodeship levels (but the results of the elections are overseen by the Supreme Court of Poland)
* regulation of immigration and preventing illegal immigration
* integration and registration of legal immigrants
While the ministry of the Interior supervises police forces, it does not supervise criminal enquiries; criminal enquiries are conducted under the supervision of the judiciary.
The Ministry's headquarters was located on the Stefan Batory Street, south of Warsaw's city centre and the governmental district which surrounds the Belweder. The Ministry could be referred to by its initials 'MSWiA'.
The last Minister of the Interior and Administration before it was split in 2011 was Jerzy Miller.

## List of ministers
### Second Polish Republic (1918–1939)

| Minister | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Prime minister |
| Minister of Internal Affairs |||||||
| | Stanisław Thugutt | 17 November 1918 | 16 January 1919 | PSL "Wyzwolenie" | Jędrzej Moraczewski |
| | Stanisław Wojciechowski | 16 January 1919 | 9 June 1920 | Independent | Ignacy Paderewski |
| | Stanisław Wojciechowski | 16 January 1919 | 9 June 1920 | Independent | Leopold Skulski |
| | Józef Kuczyński Chief executive | 23 June 1920 | 24 July 1920 | Independent | Władysław Grabski |
| | Leopold Skulski | 24 July 1920 | 28 June 1921 | National People's Union | Wincenty Witos |
| | Władysław Raczkiewicz | 28 June 1921 | 13 September 1921 | Independent | Wincenty Witos |
| | Stanisław Downarowicz | 19 September 1921 | 5 March 1922 | Independent | Antoni Ponikowski |
| | Antoni Kamieński | 10 March 1922 | 11 December 1922 | Independent | Antoni Ponikowski |
| | Antoni Kamieński | 10 March 1922 | 11 December 1922 | Independent | Artur Śliwiński |
| | Antoni Kamieński | 10 March 1922 | 11 December 1922 | Independent | Julian Nowak |
| | Ludwik Darowski Chief executive | 11 December 1922 | 14 December 1922 | Independent | Julian Nowak |
| | Władysław Sikorski | 16 December 1922 | 26 May 1923 | Independent | Himself |
| | Władysław Kiernik | 28 May 1923 | 15 December 1923 | PSL "Piast" | Wincenty Witos |
| | Władysław Sołtan | 19 December 1923 | 21 March 1924 | Independent | Władysław Grabski |
| | Zygmunt Hübner | 21 March 1924 | 17 November 1924 | Independent | Władysław Grabski |
| | Cyryl Ratajski | 17 November 1924 | 14 (15) June 1925 | ? | Władysław Grabski |
| | Władysław Raczkiewicz | 14 (20) June 1925 | 5 May 1926 | Independent | Władysław Grabski |
| | Władysław Raczkiewicz | 14 (20) June 1925 | 5 May 1926 | Independent | Aleksander Skrzyński |
| | Stefan Smólski | 10 May 1926 | 15 May 1926 | Polish Christian Democratic Party | Wincenty Witos |
| | Kazimierz Młodzianowski | 15 May 1926 | 30 September 1926 | Independent | Kazimierz Bartel |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 2 October 1926 | 7 December 1929 | Independent | Józef Piłsudski |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 2 October 1926 | 7 December 1929 | Independent | Kazimierz Bartel |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 2 October 1926 | 7 December 1929 | Independent | Kazimierz Świtalski |
| | Henryk Józewski | 29 December 1929 | 3 June 1930 | Independent | Kazimierz Bartel |
| | Henryk Józewski | 29 December 1929 | 3 June 1930 | Independent | Walery Sławek |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 3 June 1930 | 22 June 1931 | Independent | Walery Sławek |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 3 June 1930 | 22 June 1931 | Independent | Józef Piłsudski |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 3 June 1930 | 22 June 1931 | Independent | Walery Sławek |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 3 June 1930 | 22 June 1931 | Independent | Aleksander Prystor |
| | Bronisław Pieracki | 22 June 1931 | 15 June 1934 | Independent (BBWR) | Aleksander Prystor |
| | Bronisław Pieracki | 22 June 1931 | 15 June 1934 | Independent (BBWR) | Janusz Jędrzejewicz |
| | Bronisław Pieracki | 22 June 1931 | 15 June 1934 | Independent (BBWR) | Leon Kozłowski |
| | Leon Kozłowski | 16 June 1934 | 28 June 1934 | Independent (BBWR) | Leon Kozłowski |
| | Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski | 28 June 1934 | 12 October 1935 | Independent (BBWR) | Leon Kozłowski |
| | Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski | 28 June 1934 | 12 October 1935 | Independent (BBWR) | Walery Sławek |
| | Władysław Raczkiewicz | 13 October 1935 | 15 May 1936 | Independent (BBWR) | Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski |
| | Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski | 16 May 1936 | 30 September 1939 | Independent | Himself |

### Communist era (1944–1989)

| Minister | Minister | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Prime minister |
| Minister of Public Security |||||||
| | | Stanisław Radkiewicz | 21 July 1944 | 7 December 1954 | Polish United Workers' Party | Osóbka-Morawski (PKWN, RTRP, TRJN) |
| | | Stanisław Radkiewicz | 21 July 1944 | 7 December 1954 | Polish United Workers' Party | Cyrankiewicz |
| | | Stanisław Radkiewicz | 21 July 1944 | 7 December 1954 | Polish United Workers' Party | Bierut |
| | | Stanisław Radkiewicz | 21 July 1944 | 7 December 1954 | Polish United Workers' Party | Cyrankiewicz |
| Minister of Internal Affairs |||||||
| | No image available | Władysław Wicha | 7 December 1954 | 12 December 1964 | Polish United Workers' Party | Cyrankiewicz |
| | | Mieczysław Moczar | 12 December 1964 | 15 July 1968 | Polish United Workers' Party | Cyrankiewicz |
| | | Kazimierz Świtała | 15 July 1968 | 13 February 1971 | Polish United Workers' Party | Cyrankiewicz |
| | | Kazimierz Świtała | 15 July 1968 | 13 February 1971 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaroszewicz |
| | | Franciszek Szlachcic | 13 February 1971 | 22 December 1971 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaroszewicz |
| | No image available | Wiesław Ociepka | 22 December 1971 | 28 February 1973 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaroszewicz |
| | | Stanisław Kowalczyk | 22 March 1973 | 8 October 1980 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaroszewicz |
| | | Stanisław Kowalczyk | 22 March 1973 | 8 October 1980 | Polish United Workers' Party | Babiuch |
| | | Stanisław Kowalczyk | 22 March 1973 | 8 October 1980 | Polish United Workers' Party | Pińkowski Acting |
| | | Stanisław Kowalczyk | 22 March 1973 | 8 October 1980 | Polish United Workers' Party | Pińkowski |
| | | Mirosław Milewski | 8 October 1980 | 31 July 1981 | Polish United Workers' Party | Pińkowski |
| | | Mirosław Milewski | 8 October 1980 | 31 July 1981 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaruzelski |
| | | Czesław Kiszczak | 31 July 1981 | 6 July 1990 | Polish United Workers' Party | Jaruzelski |
| | | Czesław Kiszczak | 31 July 1981 | 6 July 1990 | Polish United Workers' Party | Messner |
| | | Czesław Kiszczak | 31 July 1981 | 6 July 1990 | Polish United Workers' Party | Rakowski |
| | | Czesław Kiszczak | 31 July 1981 | 6 July 1990 | Polish United Workers' Party | Himself |
| | | Czesław Kiszczak | 31 July 1981 | 6 July 1990 | Polish United Workers' Party | Mazowiecki |

### Republic of Poland (after 1989)

| Minister | Minister | Minister | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Cabinet |
| Minister of Interior |||||||
| | | Krzysztof Kozłowski | 6 July 1990 | 12 January 1991 | Democratic Union | Mazowiecki |
| | No image available | Henryk Majewski | 12 January 1991 | 23 December 1991 | Independent | Bielecki |
| | | Antoni Macierewicz | 23 December 1991 | 20 June 1992 | Christian National Union | Olszewski |
| | No image available | Andrzej Milczanowski | 11 July 1992 | 22 December 1995 | Independent | Suchocka |
| | No image available | Andrzej Milczanowski | 11 July 1992 | 22 December 1995 | Independent | Pawlak |
| | No image available | Andrzej Milczanowski | 11 July 1992 | 22 December 1995 | Independent | Oleksy |
| | No image available | Jerzy Konieczny | 29 December 1995 | 7 February 1996 | Independent | Oleksy |
| | No image available | Zbigniew Siemiątkowski | 7 February 1996 | 31 December 1996 | Democratic Left Alliance | Cimoszewicz |
| Minister of Interior and Administration |||||||
| | | Leszek Miller | 1 January 1997 | 31 October 1997 | Democratic Left Alliance | Cimoszewicz |
| | No image available | Janusz Tomaszewski | 31 October 1997 | 3 September 1999 | Social Movement | Buzek |
| | | Marek Biernacki | 7 October 1999 | 19 October 2001 | Social Movement | Buzek |
| | | Krzysztof Janik | 19 October 2001 | 21 January 2004 | Democratic Left Alliance | Miller |
| | | Józef Oleksy | 21 January 2004 | 21 April 2004 | Democratic Left Alliance | Miller |
| | | Jerzy Szmajdziński Acting | 21 April 2004 | 2 May 2004 | Democratic Left Alliance | Miller |
| | | Ryszard Kalisz | 2 May 2004 | 31 October 2005 | Democratic Left Alliance | Belka I |
| | | Ryszard Kalisz | 2 May 2004 | 31 October 2005 | Democratic Left Alliance | Belka II |
| | | Ludwik Dorn | 31 October 2005 | 7 February 2007 | Law and Justice | Marcinkiewicz |
| | | Ludwik Dorn | 31 October 2005 | 7 February 2007 | Law and Justice | Kaczyński |
| | | Janusz Kaczmarek | 8 February 2007 | 7 August 2007 | Independent | Kaczyński |
| | | Władysław Stasiak | 8 August 2007 | 16 November 2007 | Independent | Kaczyński |
| | | Grzegorz Schetyna | 16 November 2007 | 13 October 2009 | Civic Platform | Tusk I |
| | | Jerzy Miller | 14 October 2009 | 18 November 2011 | Independent | Tusk I |
| Minister of Interior |||||||
| | | Jacek Cichocki | 18 November 2011 | 25 February 2013 | Independent | Tusk II |
| | | Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz | 25 February 2013 | 22 September 2014 | Independent | Tusk II |
| | | Teresa Piotrowska | 22 September 2014 | 16 November 2015 | Civic Platform | Kopacz |
| Minister of Interior and Administration |||||||
| | | Mariusz Błaszczak | 16 November 2015 | 9 January 2018 | Law and Justice | Szydło |
| | | Mariusz Błaszczak | 16 November 2015 | 9 January 2018 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki I |
| | | Joachim Brudziński | 9 January 2018 | 4 June 2019 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki I |
| | | Elżbieta Witek | 4 June 2019 | 9 August 2019 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki I |
| | | Mariusz Kamiński | 9 August 2019 | 27 November 2023 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki I |
| | | Mariusz Kamiński | 9 August 2019 | 27 November 2023 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki II |
| | | Paweł Szefernaker | 27 November 2023 | 13 December 2023 | Law and Justice | Morawiecki III |
| | | Marcin Kierwiński | 13 December 2023 | 13 May 2024 | Civic Platform | Tusk III |
| | | Tomasz Siemoniak | 13 May 2024 | Incumbent | Civic Platform | Tusk III |