Fears ISIS sympathisers are among thousands of Chechen migrants exploiting ‘unmanned’ border between Poland and Germany
The so-called eastern route has seen a new wave of illegal crossings
OFFICIALS fear terrorist sympathisers could be entering Germany through unchecked backdoor routes along the Polish border.
With the Balkans route effectively closed, they believe migrants are now carving out a new eastern route by traversing western Russia, then crossing into Poland.
Many are coming from Chechnya, where Islamist insurgencies have battled against the Russian government for decades.
Ernst Watler, the head of Germany's federal police, told security issues on the German-Polish border were "serious".
"Day by day, there could be hundreds or thousands of illegal border crossings into Germany from Poland, with potential terrorists among them - and we simply have no idea about what’s happening."
related stories
Another official said: "We have no idea if they stay in Germany or if they travel on to other countries. We simply have no idea."
Their warning comes as the number of Russians claiming asylum in Germany has spiked.
Chechen fighters are known to be among ISIS ranks in Syria and Iraq, and are among the group's most feared fighters.
The eastern border - which is open under the Schengen agreement - has also seen a spike in illegal crossings.
One million migrants and refugees, many coming via Turkey which claims to host 2.7 million Syrian refugees, arrived in Europe last year.
Several EU states have taken unilateral measures to tighten borders despite a deal between Ankara and Brussels which stemmed the flow from Turkey in recent months.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368.