In an effort to curb the migrant flow, which Poland describes as a hybrid war unleashed by Russia, Warsaw plans to finish building a wall and close its border with Belarus by the summer of 2025. This news was reported by Financial Times, which cited its sources.
Additional border construction is anticipated to be finished by mid-2025, according to Polish Deputy Minister for Migration Affairs Maciej Duszczyk. When the building is finished, he said, the degree of border security would be almost 100%.
Construction of border fence to curb the migrant flow from Belarus
The report highlighted that the construction of the border fence had started in late 2021, following the migration crisis coordinated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Tens of thousands of migrants were driven to Poland’s border by this situation; many of them apparently obtained permits for direct flights to Moscow or Minsk from the Middle East and Africa. They were then driven to the Polish border via buses.
Since taking office, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has made thwarting what he called Russia’s “hybrid war” a top priority. In addition to strengthening the five-meter steel fence that the previous administration had constructed in 2022, the government had mandated the construction of night vision cameras, thermal imaging equipment, and a new patrol road.
Half of the more than 2.5 billion zlotys (about €587 million) that was supposed to be spent on border fortifications came from the Polish government’s budget.
Duszczyk expressed hope for the closure of the artificially created migration route by the summer of 2025. The Polish official added that Warsaw must be ready for any attempts by the Lukashenko regime to inflame tensions and undermine initiatives to strengthen Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Clashes between Polish border guards and migrant coming from Belarus
Throughout the spring and summer, Poland reported regular clashes at the border between border guards and groups of migrants in Belarus, sometimes with casualties. On May 28, a migrant seriously injured a 21-year-old Polish border guard, who died a week later.
Unrecognized President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that Minsk would not prevent interested migrants from entering the EU, making it clear that this was his response to European sanctions.
Arrest of suspects that organized illegal migration from Belarus
In September, Polish border guards detained suspects of involvement in an organized criminal group that organized illegal migration from Belarus to Poland.
Investigators discovered that migrants were transported to an area of the Polish-Belarusian border, which they then crossed on foot (illegally—outside of border crossing points). The Polish side then picked them up and transported them by car to Germany and other Western European countries.
Eleven people face charges of organizing illegal migration, with 10 of them suspected of belonging to an organized criminal group.
Four nations called on EU to build a defense line along EU’s border with Russia and Belarus
In June, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia called on the European Union to build a defense line along the EU’s border with Russia and Belarus to protect against threats from Moscow. The leaders of the four countries said that the project will require financial support from the EU.
Hybrid threats, according to the letter, are a combination of military and non-military, as well as covert and overt means, including disinformation, cyberattacks, economic pressure, and the creation of migration crises at the borders.
Sikorski: It’s a fully controlled operation by Russia and Belarus
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that Warsaw may completely close the border with Belarus when he was asked whether Warsaw could demand anything from Minsk following the death of its border guard, who was stabbed by a migrant near the border with Belarus.
At that time, Polish foreign minister stressed that what is happening on our eastern border “is a fully controlled operation by Russian and Belarusian special services at the moment. “And what is particularly appalling is that these people are being instructed by Belarusian state officials on how to punch a Polish soldier, a Polish border guard,” Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Earlier, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, stated that Russia is a major danger to the security of the European Union because it might destabilize Europe through illegal immigration.
