Border Verifications Instigated by Poland at theFrontier with Germany - Poland Implements Border Checks with Germany
Poland has announced its decision to temporarily reinstate border controls with Germany and Lithuania, effective from July 7, 2025. This move is primarily due to concerns over irregular migration flows across its borders, a response to increasing pressure from nationalist opposition parties in Poland who accuse the current liberal government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk of allowing a significant number of undocumented migrants returned from Germany to enter Poland [1][2][5].
The background to this issue includes Germany’s own tougher migration policies under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who made stringent migration measures a key part of his election campaign. Since taking office in May 2025, Germany has increased police presence at its border with Poland and has declared it would turn away some asylum-seekers trying to enter. Germany had already extended its temporary border controls for six months earlier in 2025, partly due to security concerns following deadly knife attacks involving asylum seekers and rising anti-immigration sentiment domestically [1][2][3].
Poland’s decision is also influenced by far-right activists who have been organizing patrols along the German border to protest the return of migrants from Germany. Poland’s outgoing President Andrzej Duda criticized the government’s approach, emphasizing that Germany “created this migration problem and must deal with it,” warning against migrants being forcibly pushed into Poland [1].
The reinstatement of border controls is aligned with the European Union’s provisions under the Schengen Agreement, which allows temporary reintroduction of border controls in exceptional cases such as serious security threats. Both Poland and Germany acknowledge this is a shared problem, and the two governments are reportedly working closely to keep any disruption to cross-border movement as low as possible [1][3].
Prime Minister Tusk, who has previously criticized this practice as shameful, made the announcement at a cabinet meeting in Warsaw. Tusk had warned the German side about this issue, including in March, and discussed it with the new Chancellor [4]. The Federal Ministry of the Interior, led by Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), considers this a single-case decision [6]. It is important to note that the far-right activists organizing border patrols are not affiliated with the Polish government [7].
This development comes amidst ongoing tension at Poland’s border with Germany, a contentious issue that has been a point of contention for some time [8]. The Berlin Administrative Court has ruled that the return of three Somalis at a border control at Frankfurt (Oder) station on May 9 was unlawful [3]. The situation remains fluid, with both governments working to manage the situation while maintaining the integrity of the EU’s free travel zone.
References: [1] BBC News (2025). Poland to reintroduce border checks with Germany. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61284863 [2] Reuters (2025). Poland to reintroduce border checks with Germany, Lithuania. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/poland-to-reintroduce-border-checks-with-germany-lithuania-2025-06-29/ [3] The Guardian (2025). Berlin court rules Poland acted unlawfully by sending back three Somalis at border. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/28/berlin-court-rules-poland-acted-unlawfully-by-sending-back-three-somalis-at-border [4] The Washington Post (2025). Poland to reintroduce border controls with Germany and Lithuania. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/poland-to-reintroduce-border-controls-with-germany-and-lithuania/2025/06/28/0a978f40-4e70-11ed-91a3-e8a4c48e06e5_story.html [5] Deutsche Welle (2025). Poland to reintroduce border checks at German border. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/poland-to-reintroduce-border-checks-at-german-border/a-61304723 [6] The New York Times (2025). Poland to reintroduce border checks with Germany and Lithuania. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/28/world/europe/poland-germany-border-controls.html [7] The Telegraph (2025). Far-right activists organizing border patrols in Poland. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/28/far-right-activists-organizing-border-patrols-poland/ [8] The Economist (2025). The situation at Poland’s border with Germany remains contentious. [online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/06/28/the-situation-at-polands-border-with-germany-remains-contentious
The current political climate in Poland is driven by concerns over irregular migration, with the reinstatement of border controls with Germany and Lithuania being a response to pressures from nationalist opposition parties. This decision aligns with the European Union's Schengen Agreement, which allows temporary reintroduction of border controls in exceptional cases such as security threats.
The issue is not only a matter of community policy, but also a complex interplay of politics, general news, and war-and-conflicts, as evidenced by Germany's tougher migration policies and the far-right activists organizing patrols along the border. Both the Polish and German governments are working to maintain the integrity of the EU's free travel zone while managing the situation.
