Poland seeks EU response to German border control decision

Poland will start consultations with other EU countries bordering Germany to formulate a response to Germany's decision to introduce border controls, the Polish Interior Ministry confirmed to Euractiv.pl.

Berlin's decision to introduce border controls with all its neighbours was met with great discontent in Poland, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk (PO, EPP) calling it “unacceptable from the Polish point of view.”

“The actions by Germany (...) raise great concern. They may even threaten the functioning of the entire Schengen Area, which is very important for EU citizens and is an undoubted success,” Poland's Interior Ministry told Euractiv.pl.

"In the coming hours," Poland will propose consultations with EU countries bordering Germany to consider a possible response "also at the EU level", the ministry added, without specifying when and where a meeting of the countries concerned would occur.

Tusk had already said on Tuesday (10 September) that Warsaw wanted to consult with other EU states on the matter but did not give details at the time.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, S&D) defended his government's policies, including the new border controls to be introduced next Monday (15 September).

“We will continue this successful approach, […], we are doing this, although it is getting difficult with our neighbours,” Scholz told the German Bundestag.

“I believe […] it is necessary for us to endure this dispute,” he added.

Germany has introduced checks on its borders with Poland, Czechia, Austria and Switzerland as an approved exception to the Schengen rules.

Germany's Interior Ministry has repeatedly described the existing controls as a success in combating irregular migration.

Threat to Polish-German relations

The already rocky relations between Germany and Poland could be further damaged by this new row over border controls.

German newspaper Die Welt recalled that in June, German police sent a group of Afghan refugees back to Poland without consulting Poland, prompting protest from the Polish government.

In the eyes of many Poles, it looked as if the Germans were sending back irregular immigrants without any consultation, Die Welt added.

Recent proposals by the opposition centre-right CDU party to systematically turn back irregular migrants at the German border would have required Poland to take in thousands of people "month after month" - which, according to Die Welt, would be "hard to imagine" Poland would accept.

Poland is in constant contact with the German side on the issue of managing the border so that it poses the least possible obstacles to the movement of people and goods, the Polish interior ministry said.

“Warsaw reminds that the introduction of border controls should always be the final step, and it should be well-argued since it affects the functioning of the entire Schengen zone,” the ministry added.

[Edited by Daniel Eck]