Every single day brings new evidence that German authorities are pushing illegal migrants into Poland. Meanwhile, Minister of the Interior Tomasz Siemoniak, instead of focusing on securing the border, takes to X to call for “not politicizing Poland’s security.” Worse yet, he attacks the Border Defense Movement (ROG) — the very group doing what Siemoniak himself should be doing. It’s no surprise that the response has been firm.
The Border Defense Movement, launched several months ago, is growing steadily. It’s a nationwide grassroots initiative founded by Robert Bąkiewicz. ROG’s main goal is to defend Poland’s borders against mass illegal migration and the threats associated with it. Activists from across the country are getting involved — and their numbers are rising. Some travel hundreds of kilometers each day to patrol the border at night.
In recent days, ROG has reported several interventions. For example, just last night, four illegal migrants from Eritrea tried to cross into Poland. ROG activists confronted them. The first citizens’ arrest of the group took place on a railway bridge in Gubinek.
Siemoniak Responds to ROG’s Activities
While citizens take matters into their own hands, the state remains passive. Recent reports even suggest that Polish Border Guard officers are picking up migrants brought into Poland by German authorities. The migrants are then relocated to various locations. And although in theory they’re required to report their presence weekly, in practice this system is failing.
Despite all this, there’s been no announcement of new border controls on the Polish side. Still, Minister Siemoniak today posted an update claiming everything is… working fine:
“The Border Guard is fulfilling its statutory duties of protecting the national border and combating illegal migration. There are no ‘orders from Tusk’s government’ suggesting otherwise. That’s false. Law enforcement acts in a formal, documented manner, with clear command structures. MPs can verify this — we have nothing to hide. Yes, there are difficult situations and occasional errors, as is to be expected given the scale of the challenge. But there’s also full determination to protect the border and Polish interests.”
He then addresses the actions of Poles involved in ROG, but rather than support them, he encourages them to join the Border Guard:
“I appeal for support and trust in the Border Guard. If someone wants to defend the border and meets the requirements, they should join the service. In fact, on ‘Tusk’s government orders,’ we’re creating 1,500 new positions in the Border Guard.”
Of course, he couldn’t resist taking a shot at the opposition, accusing them of politicizing national security:
“Dear Members of Parliament: Do not make politics out of Poland’s security. Do not attack the Polish Army, Police, Border Guard, or our intelligence agencies, especially the Internal Security Agency. This is neither the time nor the place!”
This comes from a man whose own political camp was, during the hybrid war at the Belarusian border, openly critical of Polish security services.