Law and Justice (PiS) has submitted a draft law to the Sejm proposing an entry ban for citizens of specific countries. “Which countries are we talking about? These are the countries from which most of the so-called ‘engineers’ come—those being smuggled across the western border from German territory. These countries should be listed in a regulation by the Council of Ministers,” said Mariusz Błaszczak.
Today, Law and Justice MPs began inspections at Border Guard posts along Poland’s western border.
PiS Pushes for Entry Ban
“Why are we conducting these inspections? Because we feel obliged to ensure the safety of our homeland, Poland. Because we critically assess Donald Tusk’s government and the inaction of the December 13 coalition, led by Tusk, when it comes to national security. Today, Poland is experiencing a migration crisis caused by actions of the German authorities—by our German neighbor—and Donald Tusk and his government are not responding adequately to this crisis,” said Mariusz Błaszczak, head of the PiS parliamentary club, during a press briefing in Słubice.
He announced that Law and Justice had submitted a bill to the Sejm today to impose an entry ban on citizens of certain countries. He declared that PiS would demand the bill be processed at the next parliamentary session.
“Which countries are these? The countries from which most of these ‘engineers’ come—those being smuggled across the western border from Germany. These countries should be named in a regulation by the Council of Ministers,” Błaszczak added.
Tusk: We Won’t Allow the Border Guard to Be Paralyzed
Illegal migration is becoming increasingly visible along Poland’s western border. Germany is transferring to Polish territory citizens from, among others, African countries—reportedly with the approval of Polish border services. Organized groups of Polish citizens, including those associated with the Border Defense Movement, are trying to counteract this practice. These groups have been criticized by members of Donald Tusk’s government, including the Prime Minister himself.
Today, Tusk posted on social media, saying: “The more the Polish state regains control of its borders, the more aggressively it is attacked by PiS, Confederation, and their militias.” He stated that there is an attempt to “paralyze the Polish Border Guard.”
What Did Merz Say?
On Tuesday, Tusk announced that temporary controls would be reinstated at Poland’s borders with Germany and Lithuania, starting on July 7 and lasting 30 days.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, commenting on Tusk’s decision, spoke about joint efforts and about Polish checks on people leaving the country. The Polish Ministry of Interior spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzyński, wrote on social media:
“There are no plans for joint Polish-German or Polish-Lithuanian border checks. The Border Guard, together with the military police, Territorial Defense Forces, and the regular police, is preparing to act independently and is setting up temporary border checkpoints on the Polish side. Naturally, the Border Guard will continue to cooperate with partner services under the Schengen Border Code.”
Interestingly, the issue of border controls has attracted the attention of European media. Euractiv reports on tensions between Tusk and Merz.
In an interview with the outlet, German politicians affiliated with the SPD claim this is “Tusk’s revenge for Germany turning migrants back at the border.” They also added that “the biggest surprise was how delayed the response was.”