YOUR SAY: Would Britons Support Polish Help in Securing UK Borders?

On 31 July 2026, We put a straightforward question to you on X (Formally known as Twitter) If Poland offered practical help dealing with the UK’s immigration pressures, defending our borders, and assisting with deportations, would you support it?

The response was limited but clear in tone. Of the comments left under the post, most were positive. One reader simply replied, “Lovely yes please and thank you.”

Another said the UK needs outside help “because our own government won’t do anything.”

A third pointed to history, noting that Polish forces helped defend the Solent and Cowes harbour during the Second World War.

One more measured reply argued that Britain should be capable of managing the problem itself, but added that “the Polish politicians have the will to do it. That’s the difference.”The question was not abstract. Channel crossings remain a live political issue.

On 29 July alone, 752 people arrived in small boats — one of the highest single-day figures of the summer — with further landings recorded in the following days. Overall small-boat numbers for the year ending May 2026 stood at around 36,000, a 13% drop on the previous year, yet the pressure on the asylum system, hotels, and local services continues.

Poland, by contrast, has largely closed down large-scale illegal crossings on its eastern frontier. Early 2026 figures showed only 158 illegal crossing attempts compared with more than 3,300 in 2022, the result of physical barriers, increased personnel, tightened asylum rules, and sustained political focus. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has publicly urged other European countries, including Spain, to copy the model, arguing it is essential to the survival of Schengen.

There is already formal cooperation between the two countries. In May 2026 the UK and Poland agreed a major defence and security treaty that explicitly includes a Joint Action Plan on Irregular Migration. The plan covers intelligence sharing, targeting people-smuggling networks (including their social-media recruitment), and the use of new surveillance and targeting technology to strengthen border security. Poland is described by the British government as “a major migration partner” and a frontline state in Europe’s migration system.

Our poll was not a scientific survey and the number of replies was small. Yet the comments that did arrive reflected a wider frustration visible across much of the British public conversation: a desire for visible results and a recognition that Poland has delivered them on its own border. Whether deeper operational help — joint patrols, training, technology transfer, or practical support with removals — ever materialises will depend on political choices in both London and Warsaw. The appetite among at least some of our readers is already there.