Poland Extends Border Controls with Germany and Lithuania Until April 2026

Poland will maintain border controls with Germany and Lithuania through April 4, 2026, the interior ministry announced on Wednesday. These checks were first put in place in July as part of efforts to manage migration, in line with similar actions taken by other European Union nations.
The Polish government attributes the ongoing pressure at its eastern frontier to what it calls a migrant crisis “orchestrated by Belarus and Russia”—an accusation both countries deny.
Initially introduced for one month, the border checks were extended in August by another two months. The interior ministry has now confirmed the latest extension will take effect on October 5 and remain in place until early 2026.

“We are extending border controls with Germany and Lithuania to monitor the migration route leading from the Baltic states, through Poland, to Western Europe,”

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski was quoted as saying in a subsequent statement.

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

According to the ministry, nearly 25,000 attempts to cross the Polish-Belarusian border illegally were recorded in the first eight months of 2025. Authorities also detained nearly 500 non-EU nationals who crossed into Poland from Lithuania, as well as more than 2,100 people who tried to cross from Poland into Germany—around 550 of whom had earlier entered from Belarus unlawfully.