Polish Interior Minister explains the reasons for temporary border checks with Germany and Lithuania
After a videoconference with the Border Guard and voivodes, Poland's Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced that from July 7, selective checks will temporarily begin at the borders with Germany and Lithuania.
Photo: gov.pl
POLAND — Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed that from July 7, Poland will temporarily reinstate checks at the borders with Germany and Lithuania.
The decision was made immediately after a videoconference with Border Guard Chief General Robert Bagan, Police Chief Marek Boroń, and the voivodes of four border regions.
Siemoniak explained that the move was prompted by a rise in illegal border crossing attempts and changes in Germany’s migration policy.
The control will be mobile and selective: stationary checkpoints will not return, but patrols will check vehicles within a 20 km zone from the border, aiming to avoid delays longer than a few minutes.
Three thousand officers from the Border Guard, Police, Territorial Defense Forces, and Military Gendarmerie equipped with drones and portable document scanners will be involved in the operation.
Warsaw had informed the authorities of Germany, Lithuania, and the European Commission in advance, emphasizing that the measures are preventive and will be lifted once the situation stabilizes.
Voivodes are confident that the step will help curb smuggling and reassure border-area residents.
Earlier, Donald Tusk stated that the decision was necessary due to the increased influx of migrants and emerging security threats.