End of Schengen spirit? Poland extends border lockdown with Germany and Lithuania

The principle of open internal borders, a hallmark of the Schengen spirit, is facing renewed pressure as Poland announced it will extend temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania until April 4, 2026.

According to a Reuters report, the move, confirmed by the interior ministry on Wednesday, continues a trend of reintroduced internal border checks across the European Union.

Originally imposed in July 2025, the controls were part of broader efforts by several EU countries to curb illegal migration.

Poland justified the reintroduction of checks by citing security concerns and ongoing migration pressure — which Warsaw alleges is being deliberately driven by Belarus and Russia along its eastern frontier. Both Minsk and Moscow have denied these accusations.

The controls were initially set for one month and extended by two months in August. The ministry confirmed to Reuters that the latest extension will take effect on October 5 and remain in place for 18 months — a significant deviation from the Schengen Area’s commitment to free movement.

“We are extending border controls with Germany and Lithuania to monitor the migration route leading from the Baltic states, through Poland, to Western Europe,” Reuters quoted Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski as saying in a subsequent statement.

“We are catching individuals who illegally attempt to smuggle migrants to the West.”

According to the ministry, nearly 25,000 attempted illegal crossings were recorded at the Polish-Belarusian border during the first eight months of 2025.

Border guards also detained around 500 third-country nationals who entered Poland illegally from Lithuania.

Additionally, over 2,100 individuals were apprehended while attempting to cross from Poland into Germany — among them nearly 550 foreigners who had previously crossed illegally from Belarus into Poland.

With inputs from agencies