Poland refuses entry to 24 people from Germany in new border checks
Konrad Szwed, a spokesman for the Polish Border Guard, said on Monday that 67,000 people and more than 28,500 vehicles were checked at the German-Polish border between July 7-13.
The Polish centre-left government ordered random checks at the borders with Germany and Lithuania a week ago as a way to crack down on irregular migration.
The move was also seen as a response to similar German measures that have been in place since October 2023.
On the Lithuanian side, some 40,000 people and 19,500 vehicles were checked in the first week, the spokesman said. There, 15 people were denied entry and 19 migrants were turned back to Lithuania in accordance with a repatriation agreement.
Eight suspected people smugglers were detained.
Out of 65 border crossings to Germany and Lithuania in total, 16 now have permanent border checks, while other border posts are subject to partial controls.
The new Polish border checks have not yet had any major impact in Lithuania, according to the authorities there.
"There have been no problems for travellers due to the Polish checks," said a spokesman for the Lithuanian border guard.
German authorities reported long tailbacks on the German side of the border on Thursday, and fear heavy traffic later this month as summer holidays start.
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