Poland reinstated border controls on July 7 at its land frontiers with Germany and Lithuania, reversing more than a decade of passport-free travel along the routes, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after a Cabinet meeting in Warsaw. The Interior Ministry designated 52 checkpoints on the 467-kilometer German border and 13 on the Lithuanian frontier. The controls—initially scheduled to run for 30 days through Aug. 5—focus on spot inspections of buses, vans and cars carrying multiple passengers, while freight traffic is expected to continue with minimal delay. Tusk called the move a “symmetrical response” to Germany’s own checks, which Berlin renewed earlier this year, and to what Warsaw describes as an uncontrolled flow of migrants arriving via Belarus and the Baltics. Polish Border Guard data show about 4,600 unauthorised entries from Germany in the first half of 2025. To reinforce the measure, the government is deploying about 5,000 soldiers alongside border guards and police, with roughly 4,000 troops sent to the western boundary and the rest to the Lithuanian crossing. Authorities say the army will patrol the area and assist in detaining human-smuggling suspects. Business groups warn the checkpoints could slow commuter traffic and disrupt supply chains, underscoring growing strains on the European Union’s Schengen system as more member states tighten internal borders. Warsaw says the controls could be lifted early but may be extended if Berlin maintains its own regime.