Poland extends German and Lithuanian border controls until April 2026

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – In a bid to curb irregular migration, Poland Wednesday extended temporary controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania until April 4, 2026, the interior and administration minister said.

"We are extending controls to contain the migration route that leads from the Baltic states, through Poland, to Western Europe. We are catching individuals who illegally attempt to smuggle migrants to the West. The key task for the border guard remains maintaining the integrity of the border with Belarus and protecting it from migratory pressure," said Marcin Kierwinski in a statement.

Under the measures, Polish Border Guard officers, supported by police and soldiers, are authorized to stop and inspect chosen vehicles. In the case of the Lithuanian border, the checks apply also to so-called "green border" areas such as forests. Checks are being conducted at 50 locations on the Polish-German border, and at 13 on the Polish-Lithuanian border.

The government says the checks are necessary to reduce irregular migration across the country's borders. The activism of citizen militias along the western border has also raised tension and helped to push the government toward more aggressive measures.

Poland reintroduced temporary border checks with Germany and Lithuania this July to curb what officials described as an uncontrolled influx of migrants. They were initially in place for 30 days.

The decision followed Germany's refusal to accept migrants trying to reach its territory. Germany reinstated its own border checks with Poland in October 2023.

In 2025, several European countries reinstated or intensified internal border controls and partial closures, straining the Schengen regime. Under the Schengen Borders Code, member states are permitted to temporarily reinstate internal border controls in exceptional circumstances, such as serious threats to public order or national security.

This year, these exceptional measures became ever more common. As of March, 10 Schengen countries – including Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, and the Netherlands – had reintroduced some form of border checks internally.