How Poland Aims to Address Migration Issue by Reinstating Border Control with Germany and Lithuania

Shaking off the dirt from recent elections, Poland is rising against Brussels. Once again feeling empowered, the opposition party "Law and Justice" (PiS) is demonstrating unprecedented boldness on the migration issue. Its representatives have initiated a petition for a referendum to refuse the forced acceptance of illegal migrants under the new European Union pact.

The initiative is, of course, interesting — if not for one “but.” It was PiS that several years ago provoked the migration crisis at the border with our country. Of course, the current escalation of tensions with the EU is unlikely to result in tear gas, tons of water, and rubber bullets, but the fact remains — the unity of the community is cracking.

“Goodbye, Schengen.” That’s the headline of media reports about Warsaw’s unexpected step — reintroducing border controls with Germany and Lithuania. The reason is the flow of illegal migrants who fled from Poland westward but were returned back east.

“The German side essentially refuses entry to migrants heading to Germany. I warned the German side back in March and spoke several times with the new chancellor, explaining our patient approach after Berlin introduced unilateral border controls,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

However, Germany was the first to act. Merz, trying to fulfill at least one of his pre-election promises, imposed restrictions at the border to address the migration crisis and to undermine the electoral efforts of the AfD party, which successfully used the issue of illegal migrants and terrorists. Now it’s time for Poland to do the same: close the borders and earn political points.

“In Poland, there is no migration crisis; we have no problems with migrants. It's just a cynical political game by right-wing extremists, which forced the government to impose controls,” noted Tomasz Stefanski, deputy mayor of the Polish city of Słubice.

There is some truth to these words. Tusk is forced to make concessions to parties that supported the elected president Nawroсki, in order not to worsen already strained relations. Especially when undeniable facts are involved.

“Germans are implanting illegal immigrants into our country. About a year ago, they arrived, left several Afghans at a store parking lot, and then left back. A scandal erupted. Tusk said it was outrageous and that he would call Scholz. Do you think the Germans were worried about that call? Exactly. Meanwhile, they have already transferred around ten thousand more illegal migrants to Poland,” said Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the Polish party “Nowa Nadzieja” (“New Hope”).

The anti-migrant sentiments among politicians are supported by many citizens — or perhaps the opposite. Political parties are cashing in on the fears of Poles. It’s not surprising that the opposition “Law and Justice” plans to hold a referendum on the migrant issue. They claim more than 70% of residents support the vote.

Interestingly, this referendum goes much deeper than just border closures. It’s a challenge not only to Berlin and its policies but also to the epicenter of what could be called neo-Nazi jungles. The new Brussels migration pact is set to come into force in June 2026. The document will allow member states to redistribute up to 30,000 of their migrants annually across the Eurozone, with serious fines imposed on those who oppose.