Poland imposes controls on Germany, Lithuania borders to check migration

Polish authorities says measurement aimed to cheque migrants much thoroughly amid nationalist concerns implicit immigration.

Poland has reintroduced impermanent checks connected its borders with Germany and Lithuania, citing a increasing influx of undocumented migrants and expanding nationalist interest implicit security.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the determination connected Monday, arguing that Warsaw needed to “redirect” migration routes that bypass barriers on the Belarusian borderline and alternatively walk done neighbouring Latvia and Lithuania.

“To redirect this watercourse of people, which is deflected by our barrier, but which wants to transverse Poland again done the borderline with Latvia and Lithuania, and further into Europe,” Tusk said.

The determination came amid heightened tensions crossed Europe implicit irregular migration, with different Schengen members similar Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands having already taken akin steps implicit the past 18 months, putting strain connected the European Union’s passport-free question zone.

Germany has maintained controls connected its borderline with Poland since 2023, but precocious adopted a tougher approach, rejecting undocumented arrivals and sending them backmost to Poland nether EU and bilateral agreements.

Polish authorities accidental this has placed an unfair load connected their country.

Knut Abraham, Germany’s envoy for Polish relations, warned the caller checks could origin postulation congestion and disrupt trade, without curbing migration effectively. Similar concerns were raised by Rafal Gronicz, politician of the borderline municipality of Zgorzelec, who dismissed fears of a migrant situation arsenic exaggerated.

“As agelong arsenic I live, I person ne'er known anyone who wanted to flight from Germany to Poland,” helium told section radio. “There are nary pressing waves of migrants walking astir Zgorzelec.”

Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said checks connected the German borderline volition beryllium lifted erstwhile Berlin ends its tougher controls.

“If Germany lifts its controls, we are not going to hold either,” Siemoniak said. “We privation this question to beryllium perfectly free, that the problems of amerciable migrant and migration beryllium resolved together, without either broadside suffering.”

Tensions person escalated successful caller weeks successful Poland aft a Venezuelan nationalist was charged with murdering a 24-year-old pistillate successful Torun. That sidesplitting triggered wide protests led by nationalist groups, with immoderate 10,000 radical marching connected Sunday successful her memory.

A abstracted incidental connected Saturday saw a Polish antheral fatally stabbed during a brawl successful the bluish municipality of Nowe. Authorities said connected Monday that 13 radical had been arrested – 3 Poles and 10 Colombians. Angry crowds gathered extracurricular a workers’ hostel wherever the Colombians had been staying, authorities media reported.

Far-right groups person besides begun patrolling Poland’s occidental frontier, claiming to support the state from migrant flows. Human rights organisations condemned these vigilante efforts, informing they substance xenophobia and undermine spot successful authoritative institutions.

“The actions of these self-proclaimed groups are the effect of a radicalising governmental narrative,” said the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. “Debate connected migration should beryllium grounded successful facts, not fear.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies