(MENAFN) Poland has decided to continue its temporary border inspections with neighboring Germany and Lithuania until October 4, citing ongoing worries over irregular migration, according to the country’s interior minister on Sunday.

Following a security briefing with regional governors and border enforcement officials, the interior minister explained that a formal request had been submitted to the European Commission regarding the extension.

He pointed to mounting strain along Poland’s eastern boundary, noting that efforts to disrupt migrant routes through Belarus and Russia have led to shifts in migration patterns toward other parts of the European Union.

“The 98% tightness of our barrier means that the Belarusian and Russian services and illegal migration are moving to other sections,” he said.

He further emphasized that controlling these alternate pathways has become a shared responsibility across the EU. “Today, the main task, not only for us but also for our partners in the European Union, is to close, if I may use that word, the route to Lithuania and Latvia,” he added.

Poland initially reinstated internal border checks within the Schengen zone last year over migration and security challenges. The current decision will maintain those controls for an additional two months.

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