ISTANBUL

Poland said it will continue border checks with Germany as long as Berlin maintains its own controls, citing a need for “symmetry” in migration policy enforcement.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday that the Polish government would not allow unauthorized migrants to enter the country and underlined that only individuals with legal permission would be permitted to cross the border, TVP World news reported.

"Poland will only allow those who have the right to stay and are approved by the government to enter the country. The era of complete openness has ended, not by our fault," he said.

Addressing growing migration concerns, Tusk emphasized that Poland's policy is aligned with a broader European trend of tightening borders, adding that Germany faces similar challenges.

"You will continue to pursue tough migration policies, even against our German neighbors. Chancellor (Friedrich) Merz also understands this. He also has his own problems, problems with the far right, problems with migration," Tusk said.

Indicating that Poland does not intend to prolong the border checks unnecessarily, he also made it clear that Warsaw’s response would mirror Berlin’s actions.

"We will definitely not prolong the border checks beyond measure. However, I will not remove border checks as long as the other side keeps them up. It will be symmetrical," he said.

Germany recently extended temporary border controls with Poland, citing the need to curb irregular migration and organized crime.

Polish Border Guards said last week that in the first six months of the year, over 4,600 illegal entries from Germany were seen, most by citizens of Ukraine (40%), with others from Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria, Georgia, and Colombia.

According to Interior Ministry data, over 850 migrants who illegally entered Germany from Poland this year were people who came through Belarus.

Under the Dublin regulations, the asylum claims of incoming non-EU migrants need to be processed in the first country of entry in the EU.