ISTANBUL

Poland will extend temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania until Oct. 4 due to continued concerns over irregular migration, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said on Sunday.

Speaking after a high-level security meeting with provincial governors and border service officials, Kierwinski said the regulation had been submitted to the European Commission for a formal notification.

He cited increased pressure on Poland’s eastern frontier, saying that efforts to block migration routes through Belarus and Russia had shifted migrant movement toward other parts of the EU.

“The 98% tightness of our barrier means that the Belarusian and Russian services and illegal migration are moving to other sections,” Kierwinski said.

“Today, the main task, not only for us but also for our partners in the European Union, is to close, if I may use that word, the route to Lithuania and Latvia,” he added.

Poland reintroduced checks at its internal Schengen borders last year, citing migration-related and security concerns. The latest extension will keep the measures in place for an additional two months.