Poland extends border controls with Germany and Lithuania through March 2027

Six-month extension of border checks

Poland will extend temporary checks on its borders with Germany and Lithuania for an additional six months. Under a new regulation signed by Minister of the Interior and Administration Marcin Kierwinski, the inspection regime will run from 2 October 2026 until 30 March 2027. The previous set of temporary measures had been scheduled to expire on 1 October 2026. Poland's Ministry of the Interior and Administration stated that the prolonged monitoring is required to curb unauthorized migration and reinforce national security. The Polish decision follows an earlier extension enacted by Germany, which prolonged its own internal Schengen border controls for six months until mid-March 2027.

The decision aims to further curb illegal migration and strengthen Poland's security.

Background and Schengen framework

The temporary border controls were originally reinstated on 7 July 2025. Warsaw introduced the policy following persistent migratory pressure along routes leading from Belarus through Lithuania and Poland toward Western Europe. Since that initial date, the government has prolonged the operational period on multiple occasions in coordination with broader European Union border policies. The interior ministry stressed that the procedures do not represent a return to permanent border posts or universal passport checks that existed before Poland joined the Schengen Area. Instead, officers carry out targeted, selective inspections primarily focused on vehicles and travelers entering Polish territory.

Inspection volumes and operational rules

Since the reintroduction of border screening in July 2025, authorities have examined more than 4.5 million individuals across the two borders combined. Security personnel have also inspected nearly 2.3 million vehicles over the same period. Under the legal framework of the ministerial order, officers possess the authority to verify travel and identity documents, as well as inspect vehicles and passenger luggage in justified circumstances. The ministry noted that officers conduct these checks in a targeted manner designed to minimize travel disruptions and prevent transit delays for regular cross-border commuters.

Enforcement along the Lithuanian border

On the border between Poland and Lithuania, border officials have denied entry to almost 1,300 individuals since July 2025. In addition to entry refusals, law enforcement personnel detained more than 130 individuals on suspicion of facilitating unauthorized border crossings. Securing this northeastern sector required the mobilization of nearly 118,000 personnel from various state services. This total deployment comprised nearly 41,000 Border Guard officers, over 6,000 police officers, and over 69,000 Polish military soldiers deployed to monitor frontier passages.

German border deployment statistics

Along the western border with Germany, Polish security forces refused entry to almost 1,200 individuals during the same operational timeframe. Operating the checkpoint network along the German frontier involved nearly 211,000 total personnel from state services. The contingent included more than 88,000 Border Guard officers, over 57,000 police personnel, and nearly 64,000 military troops. Polish authorities reported that these coordinated deployments remain essential for tracking irregular movements and maintaining stability along European transit corridors.

Border controls are an effective tool in curbing illegal migration. Their extension will allow maintaining control over migratory pressure and strengthen border security.