Germany's Schengen border checks face EU criticism as Poland pushes for talks

Polish deputy interior minister Maciej Duszczyk said Poland is ready to discuss gradually easing the temporary border controls Germany imposed on its land crossings with Poland and Lithuania. He noted that Germany’s extensions of these controls, originally justified by migration pressure from Belarus and Russia, have drawn strong criticism from the European Commission and several EU member states, especially Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which argue the measures increase costs for freight operators and hinder cross‑border workers.

The European Commission’s recent Schengen report questioned the adequacy of Germany’s threat analysis and the six‑month duration of the controls, urging countries to lift internal checks unless there is a serious public‑order threat. EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner highlighted a decline in illegal crossings and called for a gradual withdrawal of the controls, while Germany’s interior minister Alexander Dobrindt defended their necessity. Poland has invested heavily in sealing its border with Belarus and continues to monitor migration routes through Lithuania.

Poland plans to use the Commission’s findings as additional arguments in upcoming discussions with Germany, aiming to restore free movement within the Schengen area.