Poland introduces border controls with Germany – tension grows!

Poland introduces border controls with Germany – tension grows!

Poland plans to reintroduce temporary border controls on the border with Germany and Lithuania from July 7, 2025. This was announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a press conference. The measure is a response to the controls imposed by Germany, which, according to Tusk, have led to tensions between the two countries. “Poland’s patience is exhausted,” Tusk explained, adding that these controls are intended to “effectively stop unfounded returns of migrants from Germany.” The Polish border guard is supported by police and soldiers in this measure to ensure smooth implementation. Loud DW Migration policy is currently a central public issue.

There is a strong national tone in the political debate. The new President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, and his right-wing nationalist competitor Slawomir Mentzen had already called for the border to Germany to be closed during the election campaign. The German-Polish border has come into focus, not least because of the stricter migration policy of the new German federal government. PiS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said that Germany regularly transfers illegal migrants to Poland, which he described as a government failure. Tusk himself also criticized the activities of self-proclaimed vigilante groups at the border, which are supported by the right-wing conservative PiS, calling their behavior “disgraceful and scandalous.”

Political tensions and border controls

The reactions to the new border controls are diverse. The controls carried out by Germany triggered a chain reaction that also led the Czech Republic and Slovakia to introduce their own controls. In Poland, border protection is being strengthened, especially in cooperation with vigilante groups that patrol. Tusk described a symmetrical response to the German measures as necessary. At the same time, it is noted that Poland keeps the border with Belarus “98 percent” closed, which underlines the efforts to control illegal migration.

In the political discussions, Tusk also referred to the increasing number of asylum applications in Poland: in 2024 there were around 17,000, with a significant proportion of applicants from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The issue of asylum is currently more on everyone's lips than ever, especially after the Union of European States is trying to find a common solution to limit illegal migration. The talks between Tusk and the new German Chancellor Merz are a decisive factor. Merz announced that he would support Poland in protecting the EU's external borders and is seeking cooperation to tackle the migration problem at its roots.

The look into the future

The situation on the Polish-German border offers a lot of explosive material. Tusk's government faces challenges that have both domestic and diplomatic dimensions. Rejecting migrants through Germany could in fact lead to a “ping-pong game” of rejections, as feared by the police union. The controls could also lead to traffic jams at German motorway border crossings, which could put a strain on cross-border traffic.

Interior Minister Dobrindt also warns of an active refugee route via Belarus that extends through Lithuania and Poland. This all comes against the backdrop of a heated election campaign in Poland, where migration remains a hot topic. It is clear that migration policy will play a central role in the political decision-making processes of both countries. Deutschlandfunk and South Germans continue to report on developments and the possible future effects of these measures.