Poland to update plans to evacuate at least one million people from Baltic states — RMF24
The interior ministers of Poland and Lithuania discussed evacuation plans during a meeting in Budzisko, northeastern Poland, in case of an escalation of the threat from the Russian Federation, an aggressor state. According to Lithuanian Interior Minister Martynas Katelinas, these plans provide for the evacuation to Poland of at least one million people from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, RMF24 reports.
Plans to be reviewed after exercises
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said that Poland's evacuation plans would be updated after large-scale civil defense exercises that concluded in Lithuania on Saturday. Under existing scenarios, the Podlaskie Voivodeship may bear the greatest burden of receiving evacuees.
Kierwiński noted that the relevant scenarios are being continuously refined. He explained that Lithuania is a natural route to the European Union for the Baltic states, so Poland must be prepared for various crisis situations. A refugee center is being established in the Lithuanian town of Lazdijai, near the Polish border. Receiving people there was tested during recent exercises in Lithuania.
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Controls at the Polish-Lithuanian border
Checks at the Polish-Lithuanian border and efforts to counter illegal migration were a separate topic of the meeting. In summer, queues stretching for many kilometers formed at border crossings, but Katelinas said that the situation had improved after talks: checks are carried out more quickly, and there are currently no queues.
According to Kierwiński, checks have not been tightened: they are selective and are based, among other things, on statistical analysis. Polish authorities extended controls at the borders with Lithuania and Germany for another six months, until March 30, 2027. Poland's Interior Ministry said the aim was to limit illegal migration and strengthen security. Since July 2025, Poland has denied entry to nearly 1,300 people at the border with Lithuania.
