Border control remains in place. German Interior Ministry will not reopen borders

In an interview, the minister described these control procedures as „one element of a reorganisation of Germany’s migration policy.” They are to remain in force at least until mid-September. According to the tabloid, relevant documentation has been submitted by the Berlin government to the European Commission. 

Under Schengen rules, temporary internal control is formally permissible only as an extraordinary measure; consequently, the Dobrindt’s decision must be notified to the Commission. Random spot controls will therefore continue to be applied to travellers, including those crossing the border commuting for work.

These measures may produce delays at crossing points with all nine of Germany’s neighbours, including Poland. Every person crossing the border must have an ID available at all times.

Germany has conducted checks on its border with Poland since October 2023, officially to stem illegal migration. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has declared the measures introduced by Berlin to be temporary.

Noteworthy, Poland’s Ministry of Interior and Administration also reintroduced temporary controls/inspections on the Polish–German border on 7th July of last year. In October, the minister (Marcin Kierwiński) extended the temporary controls on the borders with Germany and Lithuania by a further six months — until 4th April 2026.

Operational results reported by the Odra river Border Guard Unit during the period of temporary checks include checks of 645,000 persons and more than 300,000 vehicles. As a consequence, entry to Poland was refused to 380 foreign nationals who did not meet entry requirements, most commonly because they lacked required travel documents. Those refused included nationals from non-EU states such as Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and Syria.   

The same unit reported counter-efforts against irregular attempts by migrants to cross into Germany; nearly 200 such individuals were detained. This group was dominated by nationals of Afghanistan, Somalia and Uzbekistan, the Odra Border Guard unit reported.

Border control on the Polish–German line also contributed to uncovering other criminal activity. Since the reinstatement of temporary controls, 110 persons have been arrested, including individuals wanted by Polish law enforcement and suspects in criminal offences such as vehicle theft, document forgery and smuggling of goods. The value of seized goods has so far been estimated at approximately PLN 1.6 million. 

Concurrently with the measures on the Polish–German line, the Border Guard has been conducting temporary controls on the Polish–Lithuanian border. Since the reinstatement of temporary controls there (noted in the report as effective from 07.07.2025), the Podlasie Border Guard Unit reports 51 arrests for organising illegal border crossings and nearly 290 persons returned to Lithuania under readmission procedures. During the same period, entry was refused to 578 foreign nationals, most commonly because of a lack of valid travel documents, visas or residence permits. 

Sourced from PAP/Infosecurity24.pl