Poland extends border controls with Lithuania and Germany until April 2027

Poland's Interior Ministry has announced a further six-month extension of border controls on the country's borders with Lithuania and Germany, now set to run until April 2, 2027. The previous extension had been due to expire on October 1.

The controls were first reinstated in July 2025 as part of measures aimed at curbing irregular migration within the visa-free Schengen area. According to the ministry, the latest extension is driven by the persistence of the migration route running through Belarus and the Baltic states.

Through the checks, Poland aims to prevent so-called secondary irregular migration, in which people who first entered the EU via Belarus subsequently travel through Lithuania in an attempt to reach Poland.

Enforcement figures since introduction

Since the controls were put in place, the ministry reports that nearly 2,300 people have been refused entry, more than 1,300 have been sent back under readmission procedures, and 130 individuals have been detained on suspicion of helping others cross the border illegally.

Under Schengen rules, member states are permitted to temporarily reintroduce checks at internal borders when facing a foreseeable and serious threat to public order or internal security. Such controls can initially last up to six months and, if the threat continues, may be extended in further six-month increments up to a maximum of two years overall.

Poland has said it has not ruled out lifting the controls sooner should the migration situation improve.