Poland's Belarus border crackdown praised by German newspaper

The German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung highlighted the effectiveness of Poland’s hard‑line border policy on its frontier with Belarus. Citing Frontex data, the paper noted a 37 % drop in illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, and reported that no successful illegal attempts were recorded on the Poland‑Belarus border. Poland has invested billions of euros in border infrastructure, tightened asylum legislation and suspended the right to apply for asylum at the external Schengen border. The newspaper suggested that Poland could serve as a model for other EU states, saying “Poland can advise Spain on border protection.” The report also mentioned rising illegal crossings in the Mediterranean and the ongoing risk of migrant deaths on smuggling routes.