Poland introduced additional checks on its borders with Lithuania and Germany on July 7 in response to a growing influx of migrants entering the European Union via Belarus and Latvia. They will be in place until at least August 5.

On Monday morning, the Polish Border Guard posted on X that it had detained an Estonian citizen on the Poland–Lithuania border transporting four Afghan migrants.

Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told TVN24 that the car was intercepted in the first minutes after the measures were introduced and that this case "proves that controls are necessary".

"The controls are aimed at combating illegal migration. We need to be very clear in a situation where the German side is not letting in illegal migrants without readmission. There has also been a marked increase in the number of illegal migrants crossing the border into Lithuania, Latvia and then going to Poland," the minister said, LRT reported.

TERAZ❗️

Granica z Litwą . Zatrzymany obywatel Estonii przewożący 4 nielegalnych migrantów, prawdopodobnie obywateli Afganistanu. Trwają czynności❗️#BezpiecznaGranica pic.twitter.com/16WGjYSnjz

— Straż Graniczna (@Straz_Graniczna) July 6, 2025

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was unable to provide more details about the case to ERR on Monday evening.

Migrants from the Middle East and Africa have been illegally crossing the Belarusian border into the EU since spring 2021. The authorities say the "hybrid attack" is backed by the Belarusian government and implemented by the security services.

Last month, the head of Latvia's Daugavpils Border Guard told ERR News the route is a "criminal business."

Allow extra time when traveling to Poland

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told travelers to expect delays when traveling to Poland over the next month.

Anne-Ly Ader, director of the Consular Services Bureau, said that when traveling to Poland by car, travelers should ensure they have valid travel documents, a health insurance card, and vehicle documents for the entire duration of the trip.

More time than usual should also be allocated for the journey.

"As I understand it, there is constant border control at three checkpoints for those traveling by car and train. In addition, there are temporary and random checks on 12 other road sections," Ader explained.

The graphic in the social media post shows where the three continuous checkpoints are.

❗Tymczasowe kontrole graniczne na granicy polsko-litewskiej

Na granicy polsko-litewskiej przewidziano 13 przejść granicznych:
➡️ 12 drogowych;
➡️ 1 kolejowe.

Zostały wyznaczone 3 stałe miejsca prowadzenia tymczasowej kontroli granicznej:

Ogrodniki – droga krajowa… pic.twitter.com/poui9AMuPo

— MSWiA (@MSWiA_GOV_PL) July 7, 2025

Estonia boosts patrols

The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has also increased patrols at Estonia's borders in response to Poland's actions.

While migrants are not illegally crossing Estonia's borders, the country is used as a transit country to the Nordics by smugglers.

Additional checks on the Lithuanian-Polish border could divert the flow northwards and increase pressure on Estonia.

Virko Luide, the agency's head of the crises preparation bureau, told ERR News: "At the moment Estonia is not planning on reinstating border control points at the EU internal borders, but in light of Poland's decision we have already added additional patrols in southern and northern Estonia with the task of focusing on potential illegal immigration cases."

He added: "This is a standard procedure we have done before when we have had reason to believe that there is the possibility that increased illegal immigration flows might be passing through Estonia – usually when Belarus has ramped up instrumentalized migration attacks against Latvia, Lithuania and Poland."

On Friday, the PPA carried out checks in Valga, the border city with Latvia, in southern Estonia.

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