Poland extends border controls with Germany, Lithuania until 2026

Poland will extend temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania until April 4, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior announced, citing ongoing concerns over irregular migration along key routes from the Baltic region to Western Europe.

The border checks were initially introduced in July 2025, in alignment with similar measures taken by several other European Union member states aiming to curb illegal migration, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Szef #MSWiA podpisał rozporządzenie w sprawie przedłużenia tymczasowej kontroli granicznej na granicy z Niemcami i Litwą.

🗓️ Wejdzie ono w życie 5 października br. i przedłuży kontrole o kolejne pół roku - do 4 kwietnia 2026 r. 🚧

💬 Przedłużamy kontrole, aby kontrolować szlak… pic.twitter.com/8ZeAUk54HV

— MSWiA 🇵🇱 (@MSWiA_GOV_PL) October 1, 2025

Originally intended to last one month, the controls were extended in August for an additional two months. The ministry has now confirmed that the latest extension will come into effect on October 5 and remain in place for 18 months.

"We are extending border controls with Germany and Lithuania to monitor the migration route leading from the Baltic states, through Poland, to Western Europe," said Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński in an official statement following the announcement.

"We are catching individuals who illegally attempt to smuggle migrants to the West."

The extension comes as Poland continues to face what it has described as a politically driven migrant crisis on its eastern frontier with Belarus—a situation Warsaw claims has been orchestrated by both Minsk and Moscow since 2021. Both Belarus and Russia have denied any involvement in encouraging migrants to cross the border.

According to the Interior Ministry, nearly 25,000 attempted illegal border crossings were recorded at the Polish-Belarusian border in the first eight months of 2025. Border authorities also detained close to 500 third-country nationals who illegally entered Poland from Lithuania.

Additionally, over 2,100 individuals were apprehended while attempting to cross from Poland into Germany, including nearly 550 foreign nationals who had previously entered Poland illegally via the Belarusian border.

By Vafa Guliyeva