Poland Reinforces Border Controls Amid Migration Concerns and Rising Public Tensions
Warsaw, July 2025 — Poland has reinstated temporary border checks with Germany and Lithuania in response to a growing flow of undocumented migrants and increasing public anxiety over national security. The move comes as part of broader efforts to manage migration routes that, according to the government, are shifting from the east to Poland’s northern and western borders.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the decision on Monday, framing it as a necessary measure to redirect migration pathways that have bypassed the heavily fortified Belarusian border.
“The barrier on our eastern frontier has held strong,” said Tusk, “but now, migratory pressure is being redirected through Latvia and Lithuania, aiming once again to cross into Poland and further into Europe. We must respond.”
The reintroduction of border checks marks Poland’s entry into a growing list of Schengen Area countries — including Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands — that have tightened internal borders over the past 18 months due to concerns over irregular migration. The moves have triggered debate about the future of Europe’s open-border policy.
Germany, which has maintained border controls with Poland since 2023, recently hardened its stance, sending back undocumented migrants under EU regulations and bilateral agreements. Polish officials say this has created an unfair burden, with their country left to absorb the redirected arrivals.
“If Germany lifts its controls, we are not going to delay either,” said Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. “We want movement to be absolutely free. But migration problems must be solved together — not at each other’s expense.”
Backlash and Tragedy Fuel Public Sentiment
Tensions in Poland have surged in recent weeks, particularly following the high-profile murder of a 24-year-old woman in the city of Torun. A Venezuelan national has been charged in connection with the killing, sparking outrage across the country.
Over the weekend, nearly 10,000 demonstrators — led by nationalist groups — marched in memory of the victim, demanding stricter immigration controls and blaming the government for failing to prevent such incidents.
Just a day earlier, a separate altercation in the northern town of Nowe left a Polish man dead. Thirteen arrests followed — three Poles and ten Colombians — further inflaming local tensions. Angry crowds gathered outside a nearby hostel where the foreign suspects had been staying, according to state media.
In response to these events, far-right groups have begun patrolling Poland’s western frontier, claiming they are defending the country from migrant threats. However, their actions have drawn sharp criticism from rights organisations.
“These vigilante patrols are a dangerous symptom of an increasingly radical political climate,” warned the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. “Migration policy must be based on facts, not fear, and certainly not vigilantism.”
Economic Concerns and Regional Friction
Some officials have voiced concerns over the practical consequences of Poland’s border checks. Knut Abraham, Germany’s envoy for Polish affairs, cautioned that the renewed controls could lead to major traffic delays and disrupt cross-border trade — without necessarily resolving migration challenges.
Rafal Gronicz, mayor of the border town Zgorzelec, echoed that sentiment, saying that fears of a migrant crisis were being overstated.
“We mustn’t allow panic to drive policy,” he said. “What we need is cooperation, not confrontation.”
As the European Union continues to grapple with its migration framework, Poland’s decision adds a new layer of complexity to the continent’s ongoing debate over sovereignty, security, and solidarity.