Poland extends temporary border checks with Germany to October

Poland announced that checks at Poland's borders with Germany and Lithuania will be extended to block irregular migration and close transit routes from Russia and Belarus.

Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said Sunday that the regulation to prolong controls had been formally submitted to the European Commission, as required under EU rules.

The checks, initially introduced on July 7 and originally due to expire on August 5, will now remain in force until October 4.

Kierwinski explained that the strengthened barriers on Poland's eastern frontier with Belarus and Russia have largely blocked migrant paths, shifting the flow toward Lithuania and Latvia.

The expanded checks aim to intercept cross-border transit before migrants reach the German border.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk framed the extension as a defensive response to Germany's tightening of asylum admissions.