As of next Monday, Poland will temporarily introduce border controls at its frontiers with Germany and Lithuania. The decision, announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is a direct response to Germany’s continued border checks and is aimed at curbing the movement of irregular migrants.
“We are aware this decision comes with consequences for freedom of movement,” Tusk stated following a cabinet meeting in Warsaw, “but there is no other way.” According to the Polish government, the new checks are designed to minimize what Tusk described as “uncontrolled flows” of migrants between countries.
Germany’s Controls Spark Political Ripples
While the Schengen Area typically allows passport-free travel across internal EU borders, Germany reintroduced border checks last year to stem irregular migration. The German federal police have also been given the authority to turn asylum seekers away at the border, a legally contentious move that must be approved by the European Commission.
Tusk had already hinted weeks ago at the possibility of Polish countermeasures. His decision comes just as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) emphasized that migration is “a shared challenge we want to tackle together,” noting that Germany and Poland remain in close contact on the issue. Merz denied Polish media reports that Germany had returned asylum seekers to Poland, stressing that no such deportations had taken place.
Reactions: From Support to Alarm
In Germany, political reactions to Poland’s move have been mixed. Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) expressed support: “We’re doing the same. I don’t see an issue.” However, Knut Abraham (CDU), the German government’s coordinator for Polish affairs, warned against a long-term hardening of borders. “The solution cannot be to shuttle migrants back and forth or to institutionalize controls on both sides,” he told Die Welt.
The opposition SPD called the development a setback for European integration. “This is a serious blow to the Schengen Area and freedom of movement,” said SPD parliamentary vice chair Sonja Eichwede.
Green Party Criticizes “Domino Effect”
The Greens laid blame on German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), accusing him of triggering a Europe-wide “domino effect” through his toughened border policy. “What we are now witnessing is the consequence of unilateral national action,” said Green party deputy parliamentary leader Konstantin von Notz.
The renewed controls mark a tense chapter in German-Polish relations and raise concerns about the long-term future of open borders in the EU—once considered one of the bloc’s greatest achievements.zdfheute.de
