Blinding with lights, jamming drones, detaining people, attempting to bypass Polish border services – these are just some of the actions German police officers have reportedly taken at the border in recent weeks. Their frequency is increasing daily, and Polish citizens supporting the defense of the western border say outright that the Germans are losing their composure.
For about a year, Germany has been transferring migrants to Polish territory. What is the scale of this phenomenon? Officially, one can only find out from German sources, as the Polish side – as Niezalezna.pl has repeatedly reported – does not maintain such records. According to German data, in 2024 alone, there were 9,369 “returns” of migrants from Germany to Poland.
In recent weeks, this practice has intensified. In response, Poles have formed grassroots initiatives such as the Border Defense Movement (Ruch Obrony Granic) to counter what German services are doing. These services are accused of responding inadequately to the transfer of migrants from Germany into Poland. According to media reports, dissatisfaction within the Polish Border Guard is growing.
On What Legal Basis?
There is also significant controversy regarding the legal foundations for Germany’s “returns” of migrants to Poland.
Tomasz Duklanowski recently wrote the following on the topic of Somalis detained in Szczecin:
“Police stated that the detained Somalis were ‘persons residing legally in Poland.’ But to hold such status, one must have a visa, and the migrants didn’t even have passports. They only had suspicious documents issued by the Germans. Why suspicious? Because German police fill them out solely based on the detainees’ declarations, allowing them to say whatever suits them about their origin. It’s unclear how these individuals even got to Germany. But every time, German officers claim they arrived from Poland – and that’s considered enough grounds to contact the Polish Border Guard and hand over African migrants to us.”
Media outlets also report similar practices in determining migrants’ birthdates – many are registered as being “born on January 1,” a common placeholder date in such documents.
German Overreach at the Border
The activities of Polish citizen groups trying to stop the transfer of migrants to Poland have met with sharp criticism from both the Polish government under Donald Tusk and from German authorities.
Der Spiegel recently wrote that “the Polish Border Defense Movement wants to torpedo Germany’s migrant return policy.”
However, the Spiegel article also revealed one of the German police’s questionable actions at the border.
“German police attempted to return an 18-year-old Afghan to the Polish side. An internal report from German authorities states the attempt failed due to resistance from a ‘far-right citizen guard’,” Spiegel reported. “Six members of the Border Defense Movement forced the young Afghan to return to the German side,” according to dw.com. On a second attempt to return the Afghan at the Gubin border crossing, a Polish Border Guard commander refused to let him in.
What did the Germans do next?
According to the article, “they transported the Afghan migrant to a different border crossing – 60 km away, in Bad Muskau, where there were neither Border Defense Movement members nor Polish border guards.” Spiegel adds that this was not an isolated incident.
Germans Detaining Poles
This is not the only action by German authorities that has stirred justified outrage in Poland.
On June 25, 2025, German police detained two Polish citizens from civic organizations monitoring the border. The incident took place at the Lubieszyn-Linken crossing.
Last night, further actions by German officers toward Poles reportedly took place near Krzewina Zgorzelecka.
“There was an attempt by the Bundespolizei to detain Polish volunteers from the Border Defense Movement on Polish territory,” reported Robert Bąkiewicz, leader of the Movement, late Saturday night. The attempted detention was reportedly accompanied by “aggressive shouting.”
He also posted a video from the Krzewina border area, showing a German vehicle shining bright lights at a group of Polish activists. The scene drew comparisons to hybrid tactics seen on the Polish-Belarusian border, where similar methods were used by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime against Polish guards.
Drones Under Special Surveillance
Bąkiewicz recently reported that citizen groups were equipped with thermal imaging drones, 20 radios, camera traps, body cams, and binoculars.
“Thanks to your support, the border will be even better protected!” he said.
However, the use of drones appears to have drawn particular ire from the German side. A video has circulated online showing German officers allegedly trying to jam a drone flying on the Polish side of the border.
Polish police also issued a statement saying that, “as of July 4, restrictions have been imposed on drone (UAV) flights until August 5, 2025,” in connection with the temporary restoration of border controls. This announcement has stirred strong reactions.
German Police Questioning Poles at the Border
PiS MP Dariusz Matecki posted a video in which, according to him, “German police cross the border and question Poles about aggressive behavior.” The incident reportedly occurred at the Dobieszczyn crossing in West Pomeranian Voivodeship.
“Border Guard, why are the Germans doing this? This is one of three such incidents today at crossings near Szczecin. The German police cannot cross the Polish-German border to conduct operations without appropriate permission or a legal basis. This is neither a cross-border chase nor a joint patrol. Without consent from Polish authorities or a legal basis, their activities on Polish territory are illegal,” Matecki emphasized.
Legal Concerns Raised
Dr. Bartosz Lewandowski, a lawyer, has also pointed out the illegality of certain German actions.
“If a German officer exceeds their authority to the detriment of a Polish citizen, a Polish prosecutor can open an investigation. We have jurisdiction in such cases,” he stressed.
Germany Disregards Schengen Rules
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Tuesday that, starting July 7, temporary border checks would be reinstated at borders with Germany and Lithuania. He explained that this is necessary to minimize uncontrolled migrant flows. The controls are set to last 30 days.
The Schengen Code allows border checks to be reinstated for a maximum of six months, with possible extensions up to two years.
“Germany’s example shows, however, that member states can carry out checks indefinitely. Berlin introduced checks on the Austrian border back in 2015 during the migration crisis and hasn’t lifted them in ten years. In fact, in September 2024, Germany decided to reinstate controls at crossings with all nine of its neighboring countries,” Niezalezna.pl previously reported.