Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced today, that starting Monday, July 7, the country will temporarily reinstate border controls at its frontiers with Germany and Lithuania. The measure, designed to curb irregular migration, follows Berlin’s own migration control measures and echoes broader EU trends.
Tusk stated this decision is a direct response to Germany’s recent practice of refusing entry to migrants—even those redirected from Poland—creating a perception of unfair asymmetry within the Schengen zone . He emphasized that while Poland remains a strong supporter of Schengen’s open-border principles, such freedoms require reciprocal commitment from neighbouring states.
The framework for these temporary controls is grounded in the Schengen Borders Code, which allows such measures under “exceptional circumstances” provided they remain limited in time. Poland’s controls will run through the week, with July 7 to July 5 August announced by Polish authorities.
In addition, Tusk justified the extension to the Lithuanian border, noting that while Poland’s eastern flank with Belarus is tightly secured (with a reported 98% success rate in stopping illegal crossings), migrants have rerouted via more porous borders such as Lithuania.. He also referenced “far-right citizen patrols” organizing along the German frontier, further ratcheting up internal political pressure.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged the shared challenge and stressed that while Berlin supports the Schengen arrangement, it must not be exploited by smugglers or illegal migrants. He also clarified that Germany is not returning migrants who have already entered its territory, though Poland views German refusals at entry points as part of the problem .
