We have decided to temporarily reinstate border checks along the border with Slovakia, effective at midnight tonight, applicable to individuals entering into Poland. Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Czechia have been informed about this development since yesterday. Today, I also informed the European Commission in writing,

Minister Mariusz Kamiński announced. 

The Minister pointed out that irregular migration remains one of the crucial issues for contemporary Europe. 

The ease of obtaining the legal right to remain in the EU coupled with generous welfare benefits for irregular migrants are driving yet another surge. Pursuing this policy is irresponsible, ideological in nature and does not respond to the challenges we are facing. The only appropriate response to this surge of irregular migration flooding Europe today is to boost the defence of our external borders and to revamp the asylum system in the European Union, otherwise there is no stopping successive waves of migrants coming to Europe,

the minister claimed. 

Minister Mariusz Kamiński pointed out that in recent days, we have been witnessing an increase in activity along the Balkan route, noting the difficult situation on Bosnia and Herzegovina's border with Croatia and Serbia's border with Hungary, as irregular migrants are crossing them to reach Slovakia and other countries. 

He also spoke about the intensive border checks carried out recently along the border with Slovakia, highlighting the fact that 551 irregular migrants were discovered and detained over the course of the past two weeks. 

A responsible government makes responsible decisions. We need to take an effective action. The Balkan route with its numerous branches, one of which crosses Poland and leads to Western Europe, will be effectively blocked,

the minister announced. 

Effective protection of the border with Belarus

During the Tuesday press briefing, Deputy Minister Maciej Wąsik pointed out that Poland’s border with Belarus remains the best-protected stretch of the Schengen zone border, refuting unfounded media reports concerning the effectiveness of the border barrier. The Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration reminded the attendees that the barrier erected along the Polish-Belarusian border has been visited by numerous international delegations. 

A total of 40 international delegations, including representatives of NATO and Frontex, saw the barrier and its capabilities, expressing words of praise for the solutions implemented by the Border Guard. The sensor array installed along the barrier gives us full visibility into everything that is going on at the border,

he claimed.  

Deputy Minister Maciej Wąsik also pointed out that the vast majority of irregular migrants who want to reach Germany via Russia and Belarus are undocumented.  

There are instructions and tips shared on the migrant forums that recommend they claim to have arrived via the Belarusian route. This makes their readmission to Belarus all but impossible, since Belarus does not honour any international agreements,

he explained. 

The Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration also noted that some of the migrants, who are detained after crossing the Svislach River, are asking for asylum in Poland. 
‘They are actually headed to Germany, and they are doing this because they are told to do so by activists and smugglers. They are directed to refugee centres, but the vast majority of them never show up’, he pointed out. 

Polish-Slovak border

During the briefing, Major General Tomasz Praga shared the details concerning the temporary reinstatement of the border checks along the Polish-Slovak border. 

In the first phase, border checks will be reinstated for a period of 10 days, in accordance with the Schengen Border Code. After that, we will be able to renew the measure for successive periods of no more than 20 days, for up to 2 months in total,

he explained. 

Crossing the border will be possible at eight (8) road border crossings (Radoszyce, Barwinek, Muszynka, Piwniczna-Zdrój-Mnišek nad Popradom, Jurgów, Chyżne, Korbielów, Zwardoń-Skalité Platforma), three (3) railroad crossings (Łupków-Palota, Muszyna-Plaveč, Zwardoń-Skalité) and eleven (11) pedestrian border crossings, intended only for EU citizens, their spouses and children (Ożenna, Konieczna, Leluchów, Niedzica, Łysa Polana, Chochołów, Winiarczykówka, Ujsoły, Bór, Zwardoń-Mýto, Jaworzynka-Čierne-Skalité). 

Maj. Gen. Tomasz Praga pointed out that according to official data, more than 23,000 irregular migrants were detained this year in Slovakia, while the number of detentions at the border in Poland grew compared to last year. The Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard highlighted that in all of 2022, Poland detained only about 100 people on the Polish-Slovak border. By comparison, this year, 190 people were detained in March and 900 in September..

We had no choice but to temporarily reinstate border checks. The Border Guard will be supported by the Police and the Polish Army. We have to take action for the good of our society and our homeland,

he concluded.