Poland will control borders for World Youth Day

Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak has confirmed that Poland will reintroduce border controls for World Youth Day in July, after the US Department of State issued a “travel alert” report for the country.

“US citizens should be aware that local infrastructure may be strained due to the large number of visitors,” the Department of State said about World Youth Day, which will be held on 26-31 July and is expected to see some 2.5 million visitors flock to the city of Kraków in southern Poland.

There is no basis for Poland to be penalised: Polish Foreign Minister

“Poland will impose border controls at all of its national borders from 4 July to 2 August, and visitors to Poland during this period should be prepared to show their passport and undergo stricter security screening throughout Poland,” the report said. Speaking to Polish Radio, Błaszczak said that such security measures are “nothing special”. He pointed out that similar measures were introduced for the Euro 2012 football championship co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.