There is tension on the Polish-German border. Poles protest illegal migration and organize civic patrols to protect their territory.
Migration pressure in the West – where is the problem?
In recent months Polish-German border has become a new focus of the debate on migration. Thousands of migrants who have crossed the eastern border of Poland are trying to get further to the West. German services, using procedures such as Dublin III or readmission, increasingly turn them back to Poland. This is most often the case for people who have no documents or have crossed the border illegally.
In practice, this means that Poland becomes a "buffer country" – migrants who have been refused entry into Germany return to our territory. According to Border Guard data, in the first half of 2025 only nearly 4.5 thousand people on the western border were inspected.
Anti-immigrant protests on the Polish-German border
The scale and nature of the protests
The last days have come Mass protests at border crossing points, especially in Lubieszyn and Zgorzelec. Hundreds of people, including fans of local clubs, blocked roads and objected to the migration policy of Germany and the European Union. The slogans on the banners were: "Do not drop off your guests", "Stop relocation", "Here is Poland".
Protest organizers – often national communities and local activists – argue that Germany not only turns migrants back, but even "dow" them to Poland, destabilising the social situation and security.
Examples of protest actions
- Street blocks at border crossing points
- Symbolic grounded with ‘stop’
- Scanning anti-immigrant passwords
- Information actions on social media
Citizens' patrols – a bottom-up response to the crisis
In response to growing public concerns, more and more people engage in Citizens' patrols. Their aim is to monitor the border, document attempts at illegal crossing, and call on services if necessary. Patrols operate legally, without confrontation, and participants undergo basic training and benefit from coordinators' support.
Patrol activities and challenges
- Observation and documentation of border traffic
- Cooperation with the Polish Border Guard
- Response to attempts at metastasis of migrants
- Detentions and checks by German police (e.g. two patrol participants were detained in Lubieszyn)
Most common activities of civil patrol
| Who took part | Objective |
|---|---|
| Border surveillance | Early detection of illegal passage attempts |
| Documentation (photo/video) | Prove violations and alert services |
| Reporting of incidents | Cooperation with the Border Guard |
| Education and mobilisation | Encouraging others to participate in patrols |
The social and political consequences of the migration crisis
Tensions on the Polish-German border show how much the topic of migration divides society and politicians. On the one hand, there is increasing pressure on the government to protect borders more effectively, on the other hand, there are voices about the need to respect human rights and European solidarity.
Civil patrols and protests are an expression of concern, but also an attempt to control the situation from the bottom up, which, as the organisers emphasize, can only intensify if effective system solutions are not developed.
