Extension of Border Control Measures Proposed by Poland
Poland has extended its temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania until October 4, 2025. The initial controls, reinstated on July 7, 2025, were initially scheduled to end on August 5, 2025, but have since been extended due to ongoing concerns over migration trends and security assessments.
The controls, which involve random checks without physical barriers, aim to maintain fluid traffic while addressing increased irregular migration routes through Lithuania and Latvia. These measures align with Schengen rules, allowing for the temporary reintroduction of border controls in exceptional circumstances like migration surges.
The decision to extend these controls was prompted by similar measures taken by Germany, which initiated random checks at its border with Poland in October 2023. The controls in Poland were introduced in response to these measures, with the Polish government following the actions of right-wing citizen militias who were searching for illegal migrants and attempting to control state border protection.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland has linked the possible end of these measures to decisions by the German government. However, no final decision has been made by the Interior Ministry of Poland regarding an extension of the border controls. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński announced the current extension to October and stated that decisions on further prolongations will be made based on the situation data by early September 2025.
Asylum seekers can be turned back at the border according to orders given by Alexander Dobrindt, the Federal Interior Minister of Germany, who ordered more intensive border controls in May. Germany maintains border controls with Poland and has been accused by some of pushing back refugees who had not previously been in Poland.
The ongoing status of these border controls includes active controls with fixed and mobile checkpoints supported by multiple security forces, reflecting concerns over "green border" crossings and shifting migration pressures as routes via Belarus and Russia have become less accessible. The controls have caused delays, especially for transport and frequent cross-border travelers.
The controls are set to continue until October 4, 2025, with possible further extensions depending on the migration situation and assessments by Polish authorities such as the border guards, military, and police.
- The border controls extended by Poland until October 4, 2025, are a result of increased irregular migration routes and concerns over security, aligning with Schengen rules in exceptional circumstances like migration surges.
- German border controls, initiated in response to migration trends and enforced by right-wing citizen militias in Poland, have prompted similar measures by the Polish government, including random checks and temporary border control reintroductions.
- The Polish Interior Minister has stated that decisions on further prolongations of these border controls will be made based on the migration situation and assessments by various authorities, including the border guards, military, and police, after early September 2025.
