EU introduces €3 customs duty on all low-value parcels from outside the bloc, ending duty-free shopping
Poland launches new Border Defence Component (KOP) to reinforce eastern frontier
Poland tightens access to free collective accommodation for Ukrainian refugees
Latest News
Airports and airlines urge Brussels to let Member States suspend Entry/Exit System checks during summer chaos
European aviation bodies claim the EU’s new biometric border regime is causing five-hour queues and thousands of empty seats, and they want Member States to be allowed to turn EES off during the peak summer period. Polish airports are already seeing doubled wait times, creating significant risks for business travellers.
Poland prolongs internal border checks with Germany and Lithuania until 4 October 2026
Warsaw has extended temporary ID checks at the German and Lithuanian borders until 4 October 2026 to curb secondary irregular migration. While inspections remain selective, businesses must plan for sporadic delays and ensure staff carry passports or ID cards on cross-border trips.
Drunk-Driving Foreign Nationals Deported and Barred from Schengen for Five Years
Polish authorities deported a Ukrainian and a Colombian national on 30 June after they completed sentences for drunk driving, imposing five-year bans on their return to Poland and the wider Schengen Area. The swift action illustrates Poland’s zero-tolerance policy on public-order crimes by foreigners and the compliance risks for employers.
Europe’s New Digital Border: What Poland-Based Travellers Need to Know as EES Goes Live and ETIAS Looms
A 30 June industry report outlines how Poland has fully deployed the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System and details the late-2026 launch of ETIAS. Non-EU travellers to Poland will soon face mandatory pre-authorisation and airlines must upgrade systems, making early corporate-compliance planning essential.
Warsaw Chopin Airport temporarily closes one runway after safety inspection
Routine safety checks on 30 June uncovered cracks on one of Chopin Airport’s runways, forcing a temporary shutdown and reducing capacity by about a third. Airlines are warning of knock-on delays while crews carry out overnight repairs. The episode underlines infrastructure strain at Poland’s main hub and signals a summer of potential scheduling volatility for business travellers and shippers.
Warsaw Chopin Airport Shuts One Runway After Safety Check, Warns of Delays
Routine inspections forced Warsaw Chopin Airport to close one runway on 30 June, pushing all traffic onto the second strip and causing minor delays. Repairs are due overnight, but corporate travellers should expect possible knock-on schedule changes and build extra buffer time into itineraries.
Poland prolongs ban on lodging asylum claims at Belarus border until 20 July 2026
Warsaw has renewed its emergency regulation blocking the submission of asylum requests at the Belarusian land border, now valid until 20 July 2026. The government says the curb deters hybrid migration pressure; rights groups claim it breaches constitutional and international obligations. The extension impacts logistics planning for firms moving personnel through eastern border points.
Poland wins one-year exemption from EU migrant-relocation quota for 2026
EU interior ministers have agreed that Poland will be exempt from taking additional asylum seekers under the bloc’s 2026 relocation scheme, recognising the country’s existing burden from Ukrainian refugees and Belarus-related pressure. The decision removes the immediate risk of new reception quotas or penalties next year but will be reviewed annually, meaning mobility professionals should keep watching Brussels.
Border Guard and CBŚP smash multi-voivodeship escort network employing foreign nationals
Joint raids by the Border Guard and Poland’s organised-crime police have dismantled a prostitution network operating in four regions and exploiting women, many without valid residence status. Seven organisers were arrested, assets seized and deportations launched. The case is an early application of Poland’s tougher 2026 rules on the employment of foreigners, signalling broader compliance checks for landlords and service providers.
Summer travel rush snarls Kraków Airport: over 100 flights delayed, 3 cancelled
A staffing- and slot-related cascade left Kraków Airport coping with 100 late flights and three cancellations on 30 June. Multiple airlines were affected, disrupting both domestic and international itineraries at the height of the summer peak. Under EU261, delayed passengers may be owed care and compensation, so mobility managers should ensure assignees keep boarding passes and request written delay confirmation.
NGO study finds rising anti-Ukrainian hostility shaping migrant experience in Poland
A new Polish NGO report claims anti-Ukrainian sentiment is increasingly expressed face-to-face, affecting housing, work and public-space interactions. The trend poses reputational and retention risks for employers that rely on Ukrainian staff and underscores the need for robust inclusion policies.
Border Guard intercepts attempted onward smuggling of Eritrean and Ethiopian migrants near Warsaw
Border Guard officers near Warsaw stopped a van on 30 June and arrested a Ukrainian driver transporting three Eritrean and one Ethiopian migrant who had crossed from Lithuania. Two migrants have already been readmitted to Lithuania; the driver faces people-smuggling charges. The episode signals continued east-west trafficking pressure and likely persistence of Poland’s internal Schengen border checks.
Border Guard Foils Attempt to Smuggle Eritrean and Ethiopian Migrants Toward Germany
Officers near Warsaw stopped a vehicle carrying three migrants who had crossed from Lithuania and arrested a Ukrainian driver suspected of smuggling them toward Germany. The 30 June announcement highlights shifting irregular-migration routes and the need for businesses to monitor employee and subcontractor compliance near Poland’s borders.
‘Food courier’ caught carrying Afghan migrants in Ełk county sting
Border guards in north-eastern Poland impounded a car masquerading as a food-delivery vehicle and detained a Ukrainian driver who was ferrying four Afghan migrants toward Germany. The creative smuggling tactic adds to pressure for continued internal Schengen checks and could result in stiffer roadside inspections that also affect legitimate courier traffic.