Poland criticizes Germany’s plan to tighten border controls ahead of Merz government’s launch

Poland’s top diplomat in Berlin has criticized Germany’s incoming government for its plan to impose stricter border controls, warning that such measures could disrupt daily cross-border traffic and strain the EU internal market.

With Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz and his coalition government set to take office next Tuesday, controversy has emerged over their commitment to introduce tighter migration controls. Merz’s conservative bloc, in partnership with the center-left Social Democrats, has pledged a hardline stance on migration as part of its broader push to win back right-leaning voters.

“Anyone who tries to enter Germany illegally must expect to be stopped at the German border from May 6,” said Thorsten Frei, the incoming head of the Chancellery, earlier this week.

Polish Ambassador to Germany Jan Tombiński voiced concern over the impact of these plans. “The current controls at the German-Polish border are already a problem for daily border traffic and the functioning of the EU internal market,” Tombiński told POLITICO. “We therefore do not want to see a tightening of border controls.”

When asked about Poland’s stance on returning asylum-seekers, Tombiński reaffirmed that Warsaw remains committed to its obligations under EU law, specifically the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which prohibits rejecting asylum-seekers at internal EU borders.

The German position has also drawn legal scrutiny. A spokesperson for Austria’s interior ministry reminded that “the European Court of Justice has ruled that informal returns are not legally possible when an application for asylum is made,” though expressed confidence that Germany’s actions would remain lawful.

Merz is expected to travel to Warsaw on Wednesday, where he will need to explain and possibly defend his border policy to Polish officials. This could prove diplomatically sensitive, as one of his campaign promises was to improve relations with neighboring countries, including Poland.

Incoming Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt signaled that Berlin aims to press for faster reforms at the European level. “CEAS is going in the right direction, but is too slow,” he said, noting that talks with EU partners are already underway.

Still, doubts remain about Germany’s capacity to implement such policies. Jochen Kopelke, head of the country’s police union, warned that enforcing comprehensive border checks would require at least 20,000 additional officers. “We do not consider comprehensive controls and returns at German borders to be realistically feasible,” he said, citing Germany’s extensive 3,700-kilometer border.

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