Border controls with Poland: There is no chaos – commuters breathe a sigh of relief!

Border controls with Poland: There is no chaos – commuters breathe a sigh of relief!

The current border controls between Germany and Poland are causing a lot of conversation in the Görlitz district. For a week now, Polish border guards, supported by the military, have been active at 17 crossings, from Zittau to Bad Muskau and including the motorway. So far, however, the feared chaos has not materialized, as Michael Engler from the Ludwigsdorf Federal Police Inspectorate emphasizes. Sächsische.de reports that there was a short traffic jam of around 500 meters on the motorway when leaving for Poland on Thursday afternoon, but it quickly cleared up. The volume of departures increases before the weekend, especially for trucks that have to take into account the Sunday driving ban in Germany.

Who is affected by the controls? The focus is primarily on the occupants of buses and vans, while other vehicles are often waved through without major checks. Around 13,000 commuters between Saxony and Poland should, if possible, be spared from the controls MDR reported. Whether this regulation actually works remains to be seen: the full impact on border traffic has not yet been determined, and backlogs to Germany have not been recorded.

Economic impact and concerns

Chambers of commerce and industry and business associations raise serious concerns about the economic impact of the controls. This could have a negative impact on many businesses in the coming weeks, as traffic jams and delays when crossing borders disrupt usual processes. A critical picture emerges in this context, particularly in Brandenburg, where a significant part of foreign trade with Poland is carried out. ZDF points out that, for example, many people from Germany drive to Poland to refuel or shop, which could lead to possible traffic collapses due to the controls.

The master bakers from Horka, especially Armin Hübner, report minor delays, but have not yet been able to witness any checks themselves. In addition, Marcel Pretzsch from the Pirna Federal Police Directorate points out that commuter traffic over the city bridge has hardly undergone any significant changes. Nevertheless, Saxony's economics minister expresses concern about the burdens that these controls entail for commuters and companies.

Political reactions

Various political voices are also taking a close look at the situation. The Görlitz AfD state parliament member Sebastian Wippel expresses mixed opinions about the border controls - he warns of impending chaos, but does not see a dramatic situation. In the meantime, the Left Görlitz is planning a demonstration on July 18th at the Stadtbrücke border crossing to protest against the controls. Compliance with the checks by the Federal Police is confirmed as correct.

The border controls are officially limited until August 5, 2025. Even if no major traffic jams have been reported so far, the normalization of the situation is uncertain and depends on the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which is due to come into force from mid-June 2026. The challenge remains how residents' concerns and the economic implications of the controls will ultimately be assessed.