Poland’s Podlaski Border Guard Division confirmed on 27 June that officers have detained 70 foreign nationals and seven alleged people-smugglers who attempted to cross the Lithuanian–Polish border between 22 and 24 June. Most interceptions occurred near Sejny and Rutka-Tartak, where mixed patrols of Border Guard, Territorial Defence troops and local police spotted groups moving through forested terrain to avoid the official Budzisko-Kalvarija checkpoint.
![70 irregular migrants and seven couriers caught on Poland–Lithuania route in three-day sweep]()
For travellers and employers navigating these shifting border controls, VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers real-time visa guidance, document checklists and application support, ensuring that legitimate business and tourist visitors have the correct paperwork long before they reach checkpoints.
Eleven Afghans and a Pakistani citizen were found walking along a logging track; moments later four Georgian nationals believed to be “route clearers” were arrested in a rented van. The largest single incident involved a Polish-registered Mitsubishi that refused to stop for inspection. After a short car chase the driver lost control and crashed into a ditch; twelve Bangladeshi passengers were discovered inside the vehicle, none holding valid Schengen visas. The Georgian driver and three “escort” vehicles were taken into custody on human-trafficking charges. All apprehended migrants were handed back to Lithuanian authorities under the bilateral readmission protocol. Since January, Podlaski guards report 620 illegal entries on the Lithuanian axis compared with fewer than 60 in the same period of 2024, a shift officials attribute to the effectiveness of Poland’s physical and electronic barrier along the Belarus frontier which is pushing smuggling networks towards the less-guarded Suwałki corridor. For corporate mobility teams the uptick means tighter controls on the Via Baltica corridor (E67) linking Warsaw and the Baltic capitals. Temporary checks introduced in July 2025 remain in force until at least 1 October 2026; travellers should build an extra 20–30 minutes into schedules and carry proof of accommodation and onward travel to avoid secondary screening.
For travellers and employers navigating these shifting border controls, VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers real-time visa guidance, document checklists and application support, ensuring that legitimate business and tourist visitors have the correct paperwork long before they reach checkpoints.
Eleven Afghans and a Pakistani citizen were found walking along a logging track; moments later four Georgian nationals believed to be “route clearers” were arrested in a rented van. The largest single incident involved a Polish-registered Mitsubishi that refused to stop for inspection. After a short car chase the driver lost control and crashed into a ditch; twelve Bangladeshi passengers were discovered inside the vehicle, none holding valid Schengen visas. The Georgian driver and three “escort” vehicles were taken into custody on human-trafficking charges. All apprehended migrants were handed back to Lithuanian authorities under the bilateral readmission protocol. Since January, Podlaski guards report 620 illegal entries on the Lithuanian axis compared with fewer than 60 in the same period of 2024, a shift officials attribute to the effectiveness of Poland’s physical and electronic barrier along the Belarus frontier which is pushing smuggling networks towards the less-guarded Suwałki corridor. For corporate mobility teams the uptick means tighter controls on the Via Baltica corridor (E67) linking Warsaw and the Baltic capitals. Temporary checks introduced in July 2025 remain in force until at least 1 October 2026; travellers should build an extra 20–30 minutes into schedules and carry proof of accommodation and onward travel to avoid secondary screening.
