Poland’s Nadodrzański Border Guard Command reported on 20 October 2026 that joint military–border-guard mobile teams operating along the Lubuskie and Lower Silesia stretches of the frontier stopped two third-country nationals attempting to enter Poland from Germany without the required travel documents. The men—-an Iranian national on a German residence card and a Ukrainian whose Czech permit had been revoked—-were refused entry and escorted back to German territory. Warsaw reinstated land-border controls on 2 October, citing “persistent migratory pressure” from Germany and Lithuania. The latest patrol results show the policy’s reach beyond fixed checkpoints: plain-clothes teams ride regional trains, back roads and even cycling trails to detect irregular cross-border movement. For German businesses that regularly send staff or lorry drivers into western Poland, the development is significant. Even EU residence-permit holders must now carry a valid passport matching their permit, and transport firms face fines up to PLN 12 000 (about €2 650) per undocumented passenger carried. The Polish Confederation of Logistics warned members this week to brief drivers on document checks at the Gubinek/Guben rail crossing and the Radomierzyce road corridor near Görlitz. The asymmetric controls—-Germany checks arrivals, Poland checks entries—-create a “double inspection zone” that can slow door-to-door journeys on some of Europe’s busiest supply chains. Automotive suppliers in Saxony rely on just-in-sequence deliveries from Polish plants; minutes lost at the border translate into costly line-stops. Looking ahead, both Berlin and Warsaw signal no quick end to the measures. European Commission monitoring allows internal controls for up to three years where serious threats persist, meaning corporates should treat the spot-check regime as a medium-term planning variable rather than a short-lived inconvenience.
Source: Nadodrzański Border Guard
