The meeting between the Ministers of the Interior of Poland and Italy was a follow-up to the dialogue which started in Warsaw on 10 March. The discussion revolved around the key challenges concerning the European migration and asylum policy and the further development of Polish-Italian cooperation within the EU.

During the meeting, the ministers talked about the current migration situation, including the current scale and nature of irregular migration into the European Union. An important aspect of these talks was the exchange of views on the protection of the European Union's external borders and the fight against irregular migration. In this context, Minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced Poland's decision to temporarily reinstate border checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania, which will take effect on Monday, 7 July. 

Security is paramount for Poland

Poland has made a number of key decisions over the past year to ensure the security and control of our country's and Europe's external borders. We are putting an end to the eastern migration route artificially created by Russia and Belarus by upgrading the barrier along the border with Belarus, building a buffer zone and temporarily and locally suspending the right to apply for international protection. The Polish Border Guard protects the security of Poland and Europe every day. 

At the same time, during the Polish presidency in the Council of the European Union, we made the fight against irregular migration our common priority, thus securing the future of the Schengen area.

The meeting in Rome confirmed the willingness of Poland and Italy to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against organised crime, including drug crime. International and organised crime are evolving, posing new challenges. Thanks to effective cooperation with European partners, we react accordingly and stay ahead of new methods used by criminals in their activities.