Poland Reinstates Border Controls Amid Rising Migration Tensions with Germany and Lithuania

Poland has reintroduced temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania in response to increasing public concerns about irregular migration. These measures, which began at midnight on Sunday, will remain in effect until August 5, representing the latest in a series of actions by EU governments that are testing the limits of the Schengen zone’s passport-free travel. The Polish government's decision follows a wave of far-right protests in the country, where anti-immigration activists claim that Germany is violating EU regulations by sending migrants back to Poland without proper procedures. However, German officials have denied these allegations. Poland's increased security measures are being enforced by hundreds of additional police officers and soldiers at 52 border crossings with Germany and 13 with Lithuania. Similarly, Germany has implemented random checks at its border with Poland since 2023. Following the election of a new government led by Friedrich Merz, the German interior minister Alexander Dobrindt mandated stricter border controls, allowing asylum seekers to be turned away, which has sparked controversy and led to legal challenges. To address the ongoing crisis, a summit has been scheduled on July 18, where regional politicians will discuss the pressures facing the Schengen area. Under EU laws, temporary border controls are permissible to counter serious threats, but are limited in duration. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that his government is comprised of pro-European members and emphasized their commitment to ensuring the safety of the EU. "We are doing this for you, for the Germans, the Dutch, the French—this is the border of the European Union," he said. Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak defended the necessity of these controls to curb irregular migration. He indicated that if Germany does not lift its border controls, Poland would continue theirs beyond the intended 30-day period. He cited an increase in illegal migration resulting from tightened controls at the Poland-Belarus border. Poland has been vocal about what it perceives as a Russian-Belarusian strategy aimed at destabilizing the EU and encouraging far-right movements through irregular migration. Siemoniak alleged that just before the controls were initiated, Polish border guards apprehended an Estonian man trying to smuggle four individuals believed to be Afghan citizens into the country, further justifying the need for heightened border security. Tusk reiterated that the new regulations would empower Polish officials to examine cases of individuals who are turned away by German border forces and pushed back into Poland. "It will no longer be the case that anyone who has crossed the border illegally, and whose documentation is incomplete or unclear, will be sent to Poland from anywhere, whether from Germany or any other country," he stated. In Berlin, Merz's spokesperson highlighted the shared continental interest in protecting borders against irregular migration, dismissing the idea of permanent border controls as undesirable. Knut Abraham, Germany's government commissioner for Poland, called the new border controls a significant burden for communities along the border and expressed concerns that tightening restrictions would not resolve the underlying migration issues. As tensions rise, the situation presents complex challenges not only for Poland and Germany but for the broader European landscape, testing the unity of the Schengen zone amidst growing pressures from migration and political dissent. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2