Poland Deploys Troops to Borders Amid Immigration Concerns

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 4 April 2026. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the extension is necessary to monitor the migration route from the Baltic states to Western Europe and to prevent illegal crossings.

Since the start of the year, nearly 25,000 attempted illegal crossings have been recorded on the Polish‑Belarusian border, along with 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 Russia’s behest—allegations both Minsk and Moscow deny. The country has also accused German police of “dumping” thousands of migrants on the Polish border.

In response, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz announced in July that 700 troops had been deployed to the western frontier, with plans to send up to 5,000 more military personnel to assist border guards. The deployment to the German and Lithuanian borders is the latest development in Poland’s effort to address immigration concerns.

The European Union has been grappling with a refugee crisis since 2015, initially driven 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.

The situation underscores the ongoing challenges the EU faces in managing migration and border security, and it remains to be seen how the bloc will respond to the growing concerns over illegal immigration.