WARSAW: Poland has implemented temporary border checks with Germany and Lithuania in response to increasing undocumented migration, further straining the EU’s Schengen zone.
The move follows similar measures by the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed the controls are running smoothly, with 800 police officers, 200 gendarmerie soldiers, and 500 territorial army soldiers deployed.
He emphasised that only state officials are authorised to conduct checks, indirectly addressing unauthorised “citizens’ patrols” by far-right activists.
Public sentiment has hardened after recent violent incidents involving migrants. A 24-year-old woman was killed in Torun by a Venezuelan citizen in June, sparking a 10,000-strong nationalist march.
Separately, a Polish man died in a stabbing in Nowe, leading to the arrest of a Colombian suspect. Police detained 13 people—three Poles and 10 Colombians—linked to the incident.
Human rights groups have criticised the vigilante patrols.
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights warned against political narratives that frame migration as a threat, urging fact-based debate. - Reuters
