At the border: how migration and nationalism are redefining Polish politics
The confrontation at the frontier is now a microcosm of the larger European conflict over whether open borders give way to a new era of guarded frontiers and resurgent nationalist politics.
With masked vigilantes and football hooligans now patrolling the Polish-German border, Poland’s announced restoration on July 7 of border checks there and along the frontier with Lithuania has made migration the new battleground of national politics.
In Lubieszyn, a small town on Poland’s western border with Germany, masked men in football shirts wave Polish flags and stop passing cars, livestreaming each encounter to thousands online.
This and other images of vigilante “citizen patrols”, as well as talk of “Africans sleeping on park benches,” and warnings about German “dumping” of migrants are polarising voters and dominating the national debate ahead of the parliamentary election in 2027.
The nationalist conservative Law and Justice party, the hard-right Confederation alliance, and radical figures like Grzegorz Braun are turning this border hysteria into a wedge issue.
The confrontation at the frontier is now a microcosm of the larger European conflict over whether open movement gives way to a new era of guarded frontiers and resurgent nationalist politics.
How the border became the new political stage
The immediate trigger for Poland’s restoration of border checks was growing anger over migrant “pushbacks” from Germany.
Since late 2023, Berlin had quietly stepped up controls on its eastern frontier, citing pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and mounting domestic anxiety about migration.
Polish politicians accused German police of driving undocumented migrants to the border and returning them to Polish territory, often without proper coordination.
Mariusz Błaszczak, leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) parliamentary group, claimed, “We have examples where people from Africa or the Middle East are sleeping on benches on the Polish side of the border, having been dropped off by German services. We don’t know who they are, when they were born, or where they came from. This is outrageous.”
By early summer, nationalist politicians in Warsaw were amplifying stories of “migrant dumping,” with televised images of migrants at bus stops and parks serving as political ammunition.
Krzysztof Bosak, a leading figure in the hard-right Confederation alliance, has warned that “the Polish side does not verify in any way the identity or history of migrants handed over by Germany,” adding that “we do not know who these people are, when they were born, or where they came from.”
As tensions rose, calls for action intensified. Opposition figures demanded the resignation of interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, accusing the government of being soft on migration and blind to German tactics.
Right-wing rallies and social media campaigns circulated stories of “Africans sleeping on park benches” and warned of a growing crisis at the frontier.
Under the EU’s Dublin III, the EU rule that requires asylum seekers to have their claims processed in the first member state they enter, Germany is permitted to return asylum seekers to Poland only if they can prove the person first entered the EU via Polish territory. In practice, however, recent German actions have focused less on formal returns under Dublin and more on immediate pushbacks
Under these, migrants are stopped at or near the border and sent them back without registering them in the German asylum system, a practice that has fuelled accusations of “migrant dumping” and legal ambiguity.
The spectacle spread to Poland’s border with Lithuania as well, where local incidents were seized upon as further evidence of an overwhelmed state. Lithuania itself had already reinstated border checks in response to increased irregular migration from Belarus, adding another layer of pressure for Warsaw to act.
The numbers
Despite the alarm, the actual flow of migrants being returned from Germany and Lithuania remains limited. According to official Polish data and media reports, German authorities returned 1,087 people to Poland between 1 May and 15 June this year, which is broadly consistent with previous years and far below claims of a dramatic surge.
German police union statistics put the number of asylum applicants rejected at the border at just 160 in the first four weeks of enhanced controls, while overall weekly refusals averaged around 1,300 for lacking documentation.
From the Lithuanian side, the situation is even less dramatic. Lithuania, responding to pressure from increased crossings from Belarus, has itself tightened border procedures, but the number of migrants actually reaching Polish territory through Lithuania remains in the low hundreds annually, according to Border Guard figures.
Tusk’s dilemma
At the outset, Donald Tusk’s centrist coalition tried to downplay the uproar over migration at the western frontier. Tusk and his ministers rejected the opposition’s warnings as manufactured outrage, with the prime minister labelling claims that Poland was being “flooded” with migrants from Germany as “nasty” and “not true.”
He stressed that any such incidents were rare and subject to careful investigation, arguing, “These actions, which are meant to show that Poland is being overrun by illegal immigrants from the west, are simply not true.”
Interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak echoed this line, describing the spectacle of far-right patrols as “embarrassing for all of us” and insisting that “the state, not groups of right-wing activists, is responsible for border security.”
However, in the face of relentless headlines, surging images from border patrols, and calls for ministerial resignations, Tusk’s government shifted course.
On July 1, Tusk announced the decision to temporarily restore border checks with Germany and Lithuania, a step the government had previously dismissed as unnecessary.
“[N]o one will be admitted to Poland without a clear legal or international obligation,” Tusk said, emphasising that controls would be effective but proportionate and mindful of European obligations.
A gift for the right
For Poland’s nationalist opposition, PiS) and the Confederation alliance, the goal is to frame the next election as a referendum on sovereignty, identity, and Poland’s place in Europe, using every incident, every rumour, and every patrol as evidence that only a hard line can keep the country safe.
PiS and Confederation leaders have made border security the centrepiece of their recent messaging, accusing the government of “servility toward Germany.”
Social media campaigns warn voters that “open borders” will make Poland “like France,” using each incident or rumour as fresh proof that only a hard line will keep the country safe in Europe.
Political scientist Dr Przemysław Witkowski said “I think that PiS and Confederation have already decided to make migration the theme of the next election campaign.”
"The right has for years stoked these fears. Why have they now pushed people to start independently patrolling the borders?,” he asks rhetorically.
Polling confirms that Poles are deeply concerned about migration, with 74.9% expressing support for Donald Tusk’s decision to restore temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania.
Schengen’s quiet unravelling
Poland’s decision to restore border checks is part of a broader continental retreat from Schengen’s promise of free movement. What was once billed as the EU’s greatest achievement now faces repeated suspensions as governments respond to domestic fears and political pressure.
Germany first reintroduced controls on its eastern border in October 2023, citing mounting migration and pressure from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Austria has conducted checks along its borders with Slovenia and Hungary. Denmark continues to police its frontier with Germany. France has maintained long-standing checks at its borders, officially due to terrorism threats. Sweden, Norway, and Finland have also periodically reintroduced controls, mainly in response to migration flows or security concerns.
These “temporary” measures, renewed repeatedly under Schengen rules, have become the new normal across much of Europe, marking a significant shift away from the ideal of unfettered movement.
What happens next?
Poland is now caught between two sharply opposing visions. On one side stands the promise of European integration, rooted in the ideals of Schengen and open borders. On the other is a politics of hard boundaries, nationalism and uncompromising sovereignty.
As Poland moves toward its 2027 election, the contest will be over which vision prevails. The unresolved struggle now playing out at the frontier is a test of who will define Poland’s future.
A version of this article first appeared at TVP World
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