Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday condemned neighboring Germany’s decision to tighten border controls in its bid to clamp down on irregular migration.
“From the Polish point of view, this type of action is unacceptable,” Tusk said during a meeting of Polish diplomats.
The move comes as the country’s governing coalition bids to reverse its political fortunes and hold back the far-right tide by forging ahead with tougher migration measures.
The ministry said temporary controls will be erected at Germany’s land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.
There are already additional checks in place at the Polish, Swiss and Czech borders, set to remain in force until Dec. 15, and at the Austrian border, until Nov. 11.
Tusk called Germany’s decision a “de facto suspension of the Schengen Agreement on a large scale.” The Schengen accord, first signed in 1985, now allows unrestricted travel among all nine countries that share a border with Germany.
There is no room for maneuver,” Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Germany’s Bild newspaper on Monday.
Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said Monday that Germany’s border controls are not a threat to Czech citizens.
“This is an extension of the current measures that have been in place at the German border for several months,” he wrote on X.
“This does not mean any fundamental change for the Czech Republic and its citizens at the moment.
German border controls have been tightened in an attempt to curb irregular migration, a move that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denounced on Tuesday.
During a gathering of Polish diplomats, Tusk stated, “From the Polish point of view, this type of action is unacceptable.”.
He said Poland “will reach out to other countries affected by Berlin’s decision for urgent consultations on how to act on the EU forum on this issue” in the next few hours. I’m hoping that we can discuss it in the spirit of the EU. “.
In an effort to reduce unauthorized immigration and boost security, Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Monday that all of the country’s land borders will temporarily see stricter controls.
This comes as the nation’s ruling coalition pushes through stricter immigration laws in an attempt to turn around its political fortunes and stem the rise of the far-right.
At Germany’s land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, the ministry announced, temporary controls will be installed.
Until December, extra security measures are already in place at the borders with Poland, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. 15 and until November 15 at the Austrian border. 11. .
Tusk described Germany’s action as a “wide-scale de facto suspension of the Schengen Agreement.”. All nine nations that border Germany are now free to travel at will thanks to the Schengen agreement, which was first signed in 1985.
“I am confident that the tightening of these measures is a result of Germany’s internal political climate, rather than our approach to unauthorized immigration at our borders,” he stated.
Germany’s action has drawn criticism from neighboring nations as well.
“Those who are turned away from Germany will not be accepted in Austria.”. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Germany’s Bild newspaper on Monday that there is no space for maneuvering.
To send a political message, one of our most fundamental liberties is in danger. Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle, a Dutch MEP, said in a statement that investments to fortify external borders and police cooperation are what will make Europe safer rather than political signals.
Not all of the neighboring states, though, objected. Vít Rakušan, the minister of interior in the Czech Republic, stated on Monday that Czech nationals are not in danger from Germany’s border controls.
The measures that have been in place at the German border for several months are being extended, he wrote on X. “At this point, this does not imply any significant changes for the Czech Republic or its people. I’ve been informed that there will be random checks going forward. “.
