Poland has implemented temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania, effective from Monday, July 7th, until August 5th. This decision, announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, comes in response to increasing concerns over irregular migration, particularly regarding Germany's policy of pushing back migrants to Poland. These measures mark the latest instance of EU governments imposing internal border checks, which strains the fundamental principle of the bloc's passport-free Schengen zone.

Under normal circumstances, the Schengen area permits free movement between member states. However, countries can reintroduce temporary border controls as an emergency or last-resort measure in response to security threats. Polish officials, including Interior and Administration Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, affirmed that these controls are in accordance with EU regulations and the Schengen Borders Code, citing the common problem of combating illegal migration as the primary reason.

The move follows previous similar actions; Germany had already implemented random checks on its borders with Poland and the Czech Republic since 2023 due to illegal migration, extending these to all its borders last year. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has acknowledged the need to preserve the Schengen area but emphasized that freedom of movement requires prevention of exploitation by those promoting illegal migration and migrant smugglers. Similarly, Germany's interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, intensified controls in May, leading to asylum seekers being turned back and sparking controversy.

Poland's decision also addresses migrants entering from Belarus and neighboring Baltic states via Lithuania. While Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated his country has no plans to reintroduce its own controls along the shared border, he stressed closer cooperation between Polish and Lithuanian border and police officers. The Polish controls will be carried out by hundreds of extra police officers and soldiers at 52 border crossings with Germany and 13 locations with Lithuania, including three primary border crossings and ten 'ad hoc' control sites.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk asserted that these controls are in the interest of the entire European Union, aiming to prevent irregular migration through Poland. He also reiterated criticism of Germany, indicating that the new controls would enable Polish authorities to scrutinize every instance of a person being turned away by German border forces and pushed back into Poland. This is intended to ensure that individuals who have illegally crossed the border with incomplete or unclear documentation are not simply returned to Poland from any other country.

Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak highlighted that the problem has been exacerbated by tightening controls at the Poland-Belarus border, leading to an increase in illegal migrants attempting to cross into Lithuania, Latvia, and then travelling to Poland. He also referenced a perceived Russian-Belarusian campaign aimed at destabilizing the EU and inciting the far-right by incentivizing irregular migration through the bloc’s eastern borders. A recent incident where an Estonian man was stopped attempting to smuggle four Afghan citizens confirmed the necessity of these controls.

Despite the Polish government's stance, German officials express concern. Germany’s government commissioner for Poland, Knut Abraham, described the border controls as a “heavy burden” for the border region and stated that intensifying controls at the German-Polish border would not be the ultimate solution to the migration problem. German leaders prefer to avoid permanent border controls while still protecting against irregular migration. The duration of Poland's controls is initially set for 30 days, but Siemoniak indicated that if Germany does not lift its own controls, Poland will continue with theirs as well, emphasizing a reciprocal approach to border security within the Schengen framework.