Refugees, as one of the most vulnerable social groups, are exposed to various types of primary and secondary victimization. The role of the police as the first point of contact with these individuals is a vital and multidimensional role; a role that can act in support or, conversely, in exacerbating the harm. Police interaction with refugees from the perspective of criminal policy, with an emphasis on structural, legal, and executive challenges, including neglected issues in criminal systems.

The main objective is to examine the role of the police in dealing with refugee victimization, identify existing legal and institutional challenges, and provide solutions for reforming police policies within the framework of a support-oriented criminal policy.

Research question: What is the place of the police in dealing with refugee victims in criminal policy? The research method is descriptive-analytical and comparative.The results of the study show that legal gaps, a security perspective, and a lack of effective oversight of police performance have led to secondary victimization. The experience of countries that have moved toward “community-based policing” and human rights-based training shows that it is possible to design an effective model to reduce harm and increase criminal protection.

Conclusion: An effective criminal policy in supporting refugees requires reforming the security-based perspective of the police, specialized training, oversight by independent institutions, and strengthening police cooperation with social protection and human rights institutions.