Members of the self-proclaimed ultranationalist Polish "citizen patrols" have been protesting for days on the German-Polish border against the forced return to Poland of migrants whom German authorities believe have entered their territory illegally from the neighboring country. Under pressure from the extremists, the Polish government on Monday reinstated temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania to combat irregular immigration and requested permission from the European Commission to temporarily suspend the Schengen Area. It thus joins the 10 European states that have already done so and currently maintain a suspension of the free movement of people at some point along their borders.