In a recent border incident, the Polish Border Guard confirmed that a German police car crossed into Poland, leaving behind a family of Middle Eastern migrants, a move described as a breach of cooperative norms between the two nations. This event has sparked considerable controversy and political debate within Poland.
Paweł Jabłoński, a Law and Justice (PiS) party deputy and former deputy foreign minister, criticized Germany’s actions, suggesting they are exploiting the open border to unilaterally transfer migrants into Poland.
“This raises a serious question: Should Poland introduce permanent border controls with Germany to prevent such situations in the future?” he wrote on X. Jabłoński questioned the resolve of the Tusk government to confront Germany over these matters.
Local media outlet Chojna24.pl reported that the incident took place last Friday in the village of Osinów Dolny, where a German police vehicle was seen unloading a family, consisting of two adults and three children. A witness’s video shows the German police leaving the migrants on Polish territory.
The Polish Border Guard has stated that the action of the German police “occurred in violation of the principles of cooperation between the two services and the law governing the transfer of persons.”
The issue of repeated instances of German police leaving migrants in Poland was raised by Jabłoński, who insisted that German officers should be held accountable and that the migrants should be returned to Germany.
Under the current regulations, a very specific procedure for readmission from Germany to Poland must be followed, including Poland’s consent to accept these individuals. Jabłoński accused the German police of not having sufficient evidence that the individuals had previously sought international protection in Poland and questioned whether Polish state institutions were effectively verifying such incidents.
Jabłoński strongly advocated for Poland to consider establishing permanent border controls with Germany to address what he sees as a systemic problem of unauthorized transfers by Germany. He highlighted the principle of symmetry in response to these actions and questioned whether the Tusk government would stand up to Germany on this issue.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded to the situation on social media, stating, “I will be speaking shortly with Chancellor Scholz about this unacceptable incident involving the German police and a family of migrants on our side of the border. The matter must be thoroughly investigated.”
However, no details of the outcomes of their discussion have been released as of Tuesday morning, drawing criticism from opposition politicians.
“Look, he woke up,” mocked Piotr Muller, a former PiS government spokesperson, pointing out the government’s perceived inactivity.
