The governments of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have joined forces to demand an "exit strategy" from the temporary controls Germany re-introduced on its border with Poland in May 2025. In a joint letter dated 21 November, the two Länder argue that the measure—originally justified by a spring spike in asylum crossings—has now become a drag on the regional economy.
Local chambers of commerce say delivery trucks moving auto-parts between Szczecin and Berlin budget an extra 30 minutes per crossing, adding roughly €120 per lorry per day. Retailers in border towns complain that Polish shoppers, once a weekend lifeline, are staying away. Commuters who live on one side and work on the other report unpredictable queues that make shift planning a nightmare.
![Eastern states press Berlin for timetable to end Polish border checks]()
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who ordered the checks amid mounting political pressure, cites national security and has support from Bavaria and Saxony. Federal Police data show 18,598 refused entries and a 60 percent drop in illegal crossings since May. Brandenburg’s premier Dietmar Woidke counters that the threat has stabilised and that the Schengen suspension now violates the EU’s proportionality principle.
The debate lands just weeks before the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council reviews the controls. Under Schengen rules, internal border checks may only be prolonged if the risk persists and if no less-restrictive alternative exists. Warsaw has already offered joint patrols and information-sharing as a compromise.
For global-mobility teams the outcome matters: hundreds of assignees live in cost-friendly Polish towns while working in German factories or research centres. HR managers should advise staff to keep passports and residence permits on hand and budget for continued delays until Berlin clarifies its timeline.
Local chambers of commerce say delivery trucks moving auto-parts between Szczecin and Berlin budget an extra 30 minutes per crossing, adding roughly €120 per lorry per day. Retailers in border towns complain that Polish shoppers, once a weekend lifeline, are staying away. Commuters who live on one side and work on the other report unpredictable queues that make shift planning a nightmare.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who ordered the checks amid mounting political pressure, cites national security and has support from Bavaria and Saxony. Federal Police data show 18,598 refused entries and a 60 percent drop in illegal crossings since May. Brandenburg’s premier Dietmar Woidke counters that the threat has stabilised and that the Schengen suspension now violates the EU’s proportionality principle.
The debate lands just weeks before the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council reviews the controls. Under Schengen rules, internal border checks may only be prolonged if the risk persists and if no less-restrictive alternative exists. Warsaw has already offered joint patrols and information-sharing as a compromise.
For global-mobility teams the outcome matters: hundreds of assignees live in cost-friendly Polish towns while working in German factories or research centres. HR managers should advise staff to keep passports and residence permits on hand and budget for continued delays until Berlin clarifies its timeline.
