Poland keeps Połowce and Sławatycze crossings with Belarus closed amid security review

Poland’s National Revenue Administration and Border Guard confirmed on 21 October that all traffic remains suspended at the Połowce and Sławatycze checkpoints on the Belarusian border. The two rural crossings were first shut in mid-October after intelligence reports pointed to elevated hybrid-threat activity and migrant-smuggling attempts linked to Minsk. The daily status bulletin, time-stamped 07:55, reiterates that no cars, buses or trucks are processed at either post and advises travellers to reroute via Kuźnica or Terespol. The closure underscores Warsaw’s increasingly risk-based approach to its eastern frontier. Since early 2026 the government has gradually reduced the number of open land crossings with Belarus, citing orchestrated irregular-migration pressure and the presence of Russian private military contractors across the border. Commercial carriers complain that the detours add up to 150 kilometres to some supply chains, raising fuel costs at a time when diesel prices hover near historic highs. For business travellers and mobility managers, the practical impact is two-fold: first, shipments of just-in-time components arriving from or transiting through Belarus require earlier dispatch to maintain factory schedules in Poland; second, drivers must carry rerouting attestations to avoid fines for deviating from TIR carnets. Customs brokers recommend pre-lodging clearance documents electronically at the alternative posts to mitigate longer queues. The suspension dovetails with Poland’s broader Schengen-internal-border strategy. Under EU rules Warsaw has reintroduced controls on the German and Lithuanian land borders until March 2027. Authorities argue that sealing low-traffic eastern crossings concentrates resources where detection technology and back-office analytics are stronger, while still preserving capacity for sanctioned humanitarian shipments. Officials have not provided a date for reopening Połowce and Sławatycze but say the decision will hinge on a joint risk assessment with Frontex and NATO intelligence partners. Until then, corporates moving staff or goods through Belarus should factor in the longer transit and potential for ad-hoc inspections once back inside the EU.