Poland reaches near-perfect border interceptions, Tusk says
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Poland prevents 98 percent of illegal border crossings from Belarus and is highly successful in detaining migrant smugglers.
On Saturday, Tusk, along with Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak visited the northeastern village of Ozierany Male on the Polish-Belarusian border.
"We've achieved a 98 percent success rate in detentions, meaning that 98 illegal border crossing attempts are being prevented thanks to the determination of our soldiers, border officers, and police," he told reporters after a briefing with commanders of uniformed services operating on the border.
Tusk said he had received a report confirming 'at least organisational and political patronage' over the migratory pressure at the border, allegedly fuelled by the Belarusian government. Warsaw is also aware of Moscow's involvement, he added. "We're dealing with both a state-run operation and a smuggling network."
The Saturday visit of Polish officials to the border crossings follows the adoption of Poland Sejm lower house of a resolution on the country's security. The resolution supports the EU's initiative to strengthen European defence. Furthermore, it makes the Shield East, a multi-billion-zloty complex of fortifications along Poland’s borders with Belarus and Russia, a flagship one. Shield East was included among EU's priorities in the White Paper for European Defence presented by the European Commission on March 19.
Tusk said that the Polish government was mobilising European Union to treat the Polish-Belarusian border as a joint responsibility.
"We have another confirmation that both the Shield East ... and the protection of the border against illegal crossings, is a common European obligation under NATO, but above all a European one.
"This is related to the financing of ...the infrastructure protecting this border," he said.
He added that there was a national consensus on border protection and that anyone facilitating illegal border crossing is 'involved in a very hideous procedure and undermines the security of the Polish border.'
"Therefore, the government, the army and the Border Guard will act very tough here," he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said that 'the key to success' is the cooperation of the Polish Army with the border officers and police, as well as the government.
"The issue of the Eastern Shield and a safe border is Poland's reason of state," he said.
Siemoniak said that according to a decision made by the European Commission in December 2024, Poland is set to receive EUR 52 million from the EU to tighten the border with Belarus and Russia.
"This will be used to build an asphalt road along the border, purchase drones and other ICT devices," he added.
Siemoniak also announced actions "so that on rivers, watercourses, water reservoirs and wetlands there are no situations at risk of illegal migrants crossing".
"This is a priority for the Ministry of Interior and Administration", he added.
Poland is waiting for President Andrzej Duda to sign the asylum suspension law, which has the backing of EU leaders. Approved by parliament in February, this law, if enacted, would allow Warsaw to temporarily suspend the right to asylum and limit the ability to request international protection. Applications for asylum will only be approved after a review by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, as well as the Ministerial Committee. These restrictions will be temporary and cannot be enforced for more than 60 days.
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