German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has threatened to tighten controls on the border with Poland due to the latter allegedly allowing thousands of migrants to enter the EU illegally.
Speaking at a campaign event in Nuremberg, Scholz announced that he does not want Polish authorities to simply “wave through” migrants.
“Depending on the situation, we may have to take additional measures at our borders,” the chancellor said.
Scholz’s remarks come in the wake of reports by Polish media alleging that during the past two and a half years, over 250,000 citizens from Asian and African countries managed to enter Poland to work thanks to bribery.
This figure, however, has since been disputed by the Polish Foreign Ministry which insisted that only 268 visa requests are being investigated. One US media outlet pointed out that EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson has requested Warsaw to provide clarifications on this matter by October 3.
Meanwhile, over 204,000 people reportedly requested asylum in Germany through August, and over 12,000 undocumented migrants were apprehended by the German authorities at the border with Poland.