Polish PM calls for consultations over Germany's tightened border controls

WARSAW - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday that he plans to seek urgent consultations with neighboring countries affected by Germany's decision to tighten border controls.

The head of the Polish government called Germany's actions "a de facto suspension of the Schengen area" and added that this was unacceptable for Poland.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Monday that the controls, set to start on Sept 16, will be initially imposed for six months, aiming to curb illegal immigration and protect German citizens from terrorism and crime.

"I have no doubt that the tightening of these measures is driven by internal political factors in Germany, not our policies regarding illegal migration at our borders," Tusk said.

"In the coming hours, we will reach out to other countries impacted by these decisions from Berlin for urgent consultations on actions to be taken within the European Union (EU), particularly with all of Germany's neighboring states," he added.

The new measures will affect Germany's borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland.