Poland reinstates border controls with Germany, Lithuania to discourage asylum-seekers

Poland reinstated borderline controls connected Monday (July 7, 2025) with neighbouring Germany and Lithuania pursuing akin German restrictions imposed earlier this twelvemonth aimed astatine discouraging asylum-seekers.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose authorities precocious survived a assurance ballot successful Parliament, announced the restrictions past week. Pressure has been mounting aft far-right groups successful Poland person alleged Germany was transporting migrants into Polish territory aft they reached Western Europe.

“The reinstated controls, which began connected Sunday (July 6, 2025), volition past for an archetypal play of 30 days, though authorities person not ruled retired extending them,” according to the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration.

“Illegal migration is simply a crime,” Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said connected Sunday (July 6, 2025) during a quality conference.

The Polish borderline with Lithuania, which stretches 104 km (65 miles), volition spot checks successful 13 locations. Poland's borderline with Germany, 467 km (290 miles) long, volition person controls astatine 52 crossing points.

After taking bureau successful May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made a tougher migration argumentation a pillar of his predetermination campaign, ordered much constabulary astatine the borderline and said immoderate asylum-seekers trying to participate Europe's biggest system would beryllium turned away.

Last week, Mr. Merz said Poland and Germany were successful adjacent interaction to support the interaction of Germany's borderline controls “as debased arsenic possible.” The European Union has a visa-free question area, known arsenic Schengen, that allows citizens of astir subordinate states to question easy crossed borders for enactment and pleasure. Switzerland besides belongs to Schengen though it is not an EU member.

According to the EU, subordinate states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce borderline controls successful cases of a superior threat, similar interior security. It says borderline controls should beryllium applied arsenic a past edifice successful exceptional situations, and indispensable beryllium constricted successful time.