Migration pressure aided by Belarus, Russia grows - Polish defence min
Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has argued the migration pressure on the Polish-Belarus border is increasing due to intensified operation by the Belarusian and Russian authorities.
Since 2021, Poland has been experiencing a wave of mostly North African and Middle Eastern migrants trying to cross into the country from Belarus, orchestrated by Alexander Lukashenko's regime working in cooperation with Russia.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Saturday that earlier that day he had received a report from the operational commander of the Polish Armed Forces, Maciej Klisz, on the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that last night there were around 300 attempts to cross the Polish border from Belarus and the brutality of attacks was increasing with migrants "throwing stones, branches, grinders and cutting the barrier."
"...this pressure is growing, the desire to cross the border is growing, the operation on the Belarusian and Russian sides is intensifying," he added.
"This is not accidental, this is not a natural migration route," Kosiniak-Kamysz continued, "all of this is created, staged... aimed at weakening Europe and Poland... and not at trying to find shelter."
Earlier on Saturday, Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, and the spokesman for the interior ministry, Jacek Dobrzynski, also reported an increased number of attempts to illegally enter Poland from Belarus.
Siemoniak wrote on the X platform that, in the face of migration pressure, Poland is strengthening its border with Belarus, in collaboration with the countries of the region and with the support of the EU.
He said that "every day about 11,000 officers from the ministry's services and soldiers of the Polish Army monitor the security of the Polish-Belarusian border."
Dobrzynski added that the Border Guard uses an electronic barrier to constantly monitor the situation and that "any attempt to illegally cross the border, is immediately detected."
On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland would launch a campaign to counter misinformation spread by migrant smugglers and discourage people from outside Europe from trying to cross its borders illegally. The campaign will target seven countries with the highest number of migrants attempting to enter Poland and its aim is to warn them Poland is not a viable entry point to Europe.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the new campaign was carried out along with the introduction of "real changes in border security."
A total of 186 kilometres on Poland's border with Belarus is protected by a physical barrier reinforced with an electronic detection system.
As of March 27, the so-called asylum law came into force which gives the Polish government the power to suspend the right to seek asylum for a period of up to 60 days along specific sections of the border. (PAP)
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