Poland Enhances Border Patrol on Lithuanian Border Due to Illegal Migration

Poland is increasing the number of patrols on the Lithuanian-Polish border to more effectively control passenger cars, minibusses, vans, and buses entering the country from Lithuania. As reported by RMF FM, border guards and police are responding to the rising number of foreigners who illegally enter the European Union through the Baltic countries and then attempt to cross internal EU borders.

Since the beginning of the year, 454 foreigners, primarily from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, and India, have been apprehended on the border with Lithuania. Most of them seek to enter the EU through the border between Belarus and Latvia, where an average of 100 attempts at illegal entry is recorded daily.

Foreigners crossing the Latvian border easily continue their journey through the internal EU borders, including Lithuania and Poland, with the aim of reaching Germany.

Recently, Polish patrols in Rutka-Tartak detained a Latvian national who was transporting five Syrians. Polish border guards have noticed an increase in the number of foreigners from Baltic countries, although it has not yet reached the scale observed on the Slovak or Czech borders.

This year, approximately 1,300 foreigners were detained on the Slovak and Czech borders, with 850 migrants apprehended near Poland's southern borders and 452 at the border with Germany. Over 900 of the total detained foreigners were Syrian nationals.

It has also recently been revealed that Poland's Border Service has increased inspections of buses and other vehicles on the Polish-Slovak border, which could be used for illegal migration.

According to reports, the German government is also considering establishing permanent checkpoints on its borders to combat human smuggling.

Meanwhile, Slovenia and Italy are tightening control on their borders with Croatia due to illegal migration. Since Croatia's accession to the Schengen Area earlier this year, the number of migrants illegally entering Slovenia through the Western Balkans route, including via Bosnia and Herzegovina, has significantly increased. From the beginning of the year to the end of August, Slovenian police recorded 36,137 cases of illegal border crossings between Slovenia and Croatia, compared to 13,601 during the same period last year.