Warsaw, March 30, 2026 – Poland's Interior Ministry announced the extension of temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania for another six months, until October 1, 2026, to combat illegal migration and bolster internal security.www.aa.com.trunited24media.comqazinform.com The measures, set to take effect on April 5 after the previous expiration on April 4, involve spot checks at 52 crossings on the German border and 13 on the Lithuanian border, including key points like Świecko, Olszyna, Kołbaskowo, Budzisko, and Ogrodniki.www.visahq.com Officials cite ongoing pressure from migrant-smuggling routes originating via Belarus and Lithuania, with nearly 25,000 irregular entries attempted on the Polish-Belarusian border in early 2025 alone.

The controls, first introduced on July 7, 2025, and extended multiple times since, allow border guards, police, and military to stop vehicles for identity and compliance checks, leading to reported delays of over an hour for trucks at peak times. Poland accuses Belarus and Russia of orchestrating migration flows from the Middle East and Africa since 2021 to destabilize the EU's eastern flank, though Minsk and Moscow deny involvement. This step aligns with EU Schengen rules permitting temporary internal checks for up to two years in cases of serious security threats, with Warsaw notifying EU institutions in advance.

The decision mirrors a wider European shift from passport-free travel, as Germany has maintained its own controls on the Polish border since 2023, recently extended for six more months. Travelers and businesses face continued requirements for passports or IDs, with advice to plan for buffers amid random inspections rather than full stamping. While aimed at sealing "back doors" for migrants heading west, the extension underscores persistent regional tensions over migration corridors.