Traffic jam alarm on the A12: Polish border controls cause chaos!

Traffic jam alarm on the A12: Polish border controls cause chaos!

There is currently a massive traffic jam of around seven kilometers on the A12 motorway towards Poland. The reason for the slow movement is the stricter Polish border controls, which have been in force since July 7, 2025. The last option to leave the motorway is at Frankfurt (Oder)-West. This not only affects car travelers, but also cross-border freight traffic, which also has to expect significant delays. Companies in the transport and logistics sector should prepare for disruptions and, if necessary, plan time buffers, as Verkehrsrundschau reports.

The new checks are a direct response from Poland to the random checks on the German side that have been carried out since October 2023. Travelers who want to enter the country at one of the 52 border crossings with Germany and 13 crossings with Lithuania must expect longer waiting times, especially on weekends. Vehicles with tinted windows as well as buses and minibuses are also the focus of the Polish authorities. The checks include checking identification documents and trunk contents, although there are no permanent barriers or barriers. Instead, lanes are being narrowed and traffic signs are being put up, as the Tagesschau informs.

Insight into the background

The Polish controls are initially limited until August 5, 2025. They were introduced by the Polish government in order to stop irregular migration and to respond to the actions of the German side. While around 13,000 people commute from Poland to Saxony and more than 14,000 to Brandenburg every day, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brandenburg is also concerned about possible economic losses due to traffic jams and traffic disruptions. Poland is the most important foreign trade partner for Brandenburg, with exports of 4.1 billion euros in 2024. Therefore, the course of the controls could have a negative impact on the entire EU economic area, explains ZDF.

Domestic political pressure on the Polish government is growing as the right-wing conservative opposition party PiS uses the issue of migration as a tool to stoke fears. While the border guard is concentrating on allowing commuters to pass through as quickly as possible, the normalization of the situation will remain uncertain and will depend on the future rules of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). These reforms, which are due to apply from mid-June 2026, require, among other things, the identification of new arrivals within seven days.

It remains questionable whether the situation at the border will calm down soon. Commuters and travelers have to be prepared for a longer wait. For many people from Germany who regularly travel to Poland, for example to fill up with gas or go shopping, this could lead to a real traffic collapse.