Starting Monday, travellers entering Poland from Germany and Lithuania may be subject to random checks by the Border Guard at key crossings.
During a midnight press conference held at the A2 highway crossing in Świecko, western Poland, Siemoniak announced the launch of a major effort to reintroduce temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania.
He called for public support for border guards, military personnel, and other agencies involved, announcing that from midnight all affected border posts have been designated critical infrastructure subject to heightened protection.
“These controls are the responsibility of state services alone,” Siemoniak said. “Only official personnel will be conducting operations at these sites.”
Early success in thwarting smuggling attempts
Siemoniak said that border checks were operating efficiently and without any incident so far.
He told reporters that authorities uncovered an attempt by an Estonian citizen to smuggle four illegal migrants during border checks.
The Border Guard also detained a human trafficker traveling with four Afghans, according to officials.
Siemoniak said the migrants failed to cross the barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border and instead tried to enter Poland from the north via Lithuania.
Their efforts were unsuccessful, he said, and they are now awaiting swift transfer back to Lithuania under a readmission agreement.
Poland introduces targeted checks to curb illegal migration
Temporary border checks will be carried out at 52 locations along the Polish-German border and at 13 points on the Polish-Lithuanian border. Officers will also conduct checks onboard trains travelling between stations near the crossings.
The purpose of these measures is to combat illegal migration and human smuggling. Buses and cars with tinted windows are being stopped most often to help identify people attempting to enter Poland without proper documentation.
In the first hours, the new measures did not cause significant traffic disruptions, and the new system was implemented smoothly, according to Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Duszczyk.
On the western border, most traffic was heading into Germany, where similar checks by German police have been causing Monday morning backups for the past year and a half.
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Source: IAR/PAP/MSWiA/X/@MSWiA_GOV_PL/@TomaszSiemoniak/@Straz_Graniczna