1 of 2 | “We have taken the decision that we are re-establishing temporary control at the Polish border with Germany and the Polish border with Lithuania,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk (pictured March 2024 at the White House in Washington, D.C.) said last Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting in announcing the policy. Photo by Tom Brenner/UPI | License Photo
The Polish government on Monday reintroduced border control measures between Lithuania and Germany due to growing public concern over what many say is irregular migration.
The Polish Government Security Center said “controls at the border with Germany and Lithuania are being introduced” starting midnight on Sunday and will last until August 5.
The sanctions in the passport-free Schengen zone, which includes a large part of north and western Europe, are viewed as extreme but not uncommon.
“We have taken the decision that we are re-establishing temporary control at the Polish border with Germany and the Polish border with Lithuania,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting in announcing the policy.
Meanwhile, Poland’s interior minister said the government’s efforts were critical to cut back on irregular European migration patterns via Poland and were worsened by stricter controls at the Belarus-Polish border, which led to a spike in crossings at other border locations.
“We are seeing a significant increase in illegal migrants crossing the border into Lithuania, Latvia and then traveling to Poland,” according to Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
It also arrived after criticism over Germany’s decision to force back thousands of migrants into Poland after German officials claimed they illegally crossed the border.
The nearly 30-day controls are being executed by hundreds of extra police and military units at 52 German border crossings and 13 with Lithuania over reports of illegal entrances via Belarus and neighboring Baltic states.
“The reason for this decision is a common problem that we have as Lithuania, Poland, the European Union, that is the fight against illegal migration,” added Poland’s interior chief.
In Lithuania, 13 locations will see border controls and three border crossings with the remaining 10 crossings to be “ad hoc” control sites used by local citizens.
However, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said Saturday that his country had no plans to reintroduce border controls but called for closer cooperation.
Siemoniak stressed that Poland would revoke its decision if Germany likewise “lifts its controls.”
“This is taking place in accordance with EU regulations and the Schengen Borders Code,” stated Siemoniak.
In Germany, border controls will be carried out at 52 border spots.
On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke of the issue during a media conference with Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
Merz called for stricter border policies in January while on the campaign trail after Germany introduced similar checks in 2023 on the Polish border. Germany restarted checks at all its land borders last year, which angered its allied neighbors.
“Of course we want to preserve the Schengen area, but freedom of movement within it will only work in the long run if it is not exploited by those who promote illegal migration, and especially by migrant smugglers,” Merz said.
Poland has warned against what it claims is an attempt by Russia and Belarus to destabilize the European Union by abusing the EU’s looser immigration policies and stoking anger on the far-right.
Just prior to Poland’s border policy going into effect at midnight, Siemoniak says Polish authorities stopped an Estonian man in an attempt to smuggle four people over the border, thought to be Afghan citizens.
“This is exactly the proof we need as to how necessary these controls are,” he said Monday.
The prime minister added those same four previously had been registered as having attempted to previously cross illegally from Belarus.
In June, Poland’s parliament kept pro-EU Tusk in office in a 243-210 confidence vote, which was prompted by the narrow election victory of the right-wing PiS party of President Karol Nawrocki, who defeated a Tusk-backed candidate.
