Polish President Karol Nawrocki has deployed troops to the country’s borders with Germany and Lithuania, citing concerns over a surge in illegal immigration. The move follows Warsaw’s recent reintroduction of temporary border checks, which will remain in place until April 4, 2026. The decision aims to monitor the migration route from the Baltic states to Western Europe.
The European Union has been grappling with a refugee crisis since 2015, largely caused by upheavals in the Middle East and Africa, and later exacerbated by the Ukraine conflict. Poland, Germany, and Lithuania are all members of the Schengen area, a border-free travel zone. However, in late 2023, Germany temporarily reinstated border checks in emergency situations, a provision allowed by the Schengen agreement.
According to Poland’s Interior Ministry, the temporary border controls were first reintroduced in early July and will continue until April 2026. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski stated that the extension is necessary to monitor the migration route and prevent illegal crossings. Since the start of the year, nearly 25,000 attempted illegal crossings have been registered on the Polish-Belarusian border, with an additional 500 foreigners and 60 suspected human traffickers caught trying to enter from Lithuania.
Poland has previously accused Belarus of deliberately orchestrating the flow of illegal immigrants into EU states at the behest of Russia, allegations that both Minsk and Moscow have denied. The country has also accused German police of “dumping” thousands of migrants on the Polish border. In response to the situation, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced in July that 700 troops had been deployed to the country’s Western frontier, with plans to send up to 5,000 more military personnel to assist border guards.
The deployment of troops to the borders with Germany and Lithuania is the latest development in Poland’s efforts to address the immigration concerns. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the European Union in managing migration and border control. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the EU will respond to the growing concerns over illegal immigration and border security.
