Situation overview
Over the past few months, the Belarusian authorities have intensified hybrid warfare activities against the European Union. Illegal migration, organised with the participation of Belarusian services, is intended to destabilise political situation and threaten security of Poland and the European Union.
Lies, disinformation and taking advantage of the dramatic situation of people from the Middle East region are just some of the elements of the cruel and cynical political game of the Belarusian dictator. The dynamically changing situation brings new information and challenges every day.
- The Belarusian authorities have been involved in actions in the nature of hybrid warfare against the European Union since June 2021.
- Illegal migration supported by the Belarusian authorities aims to destabilise the political situation and put the security of Poland and the European Union at risk.
- The aim of numerous attempts to break the territorial integrity and acts of provocation from the Belarusian authorities is to exacerbate the migration crisis caused by Minsk.
- Using the dramatic situation of people living in the Middle East and other regions is part of a cruel and cynical political game played by the Belarusian tyrant.
- Transports with people from these regions organised by the Belarusian authorities continue to arrive in Minsk. From Minsk, these people are transported to the Polish and European Union’s border.
The biggest migratory pressure is currently on Poland, after the regime in Minsk redirected its earlier focus from Lithuania and Latvia. Lukashenko opened this artificial migratory route out of revenge for international sanctions imposed on Minsk and the support given to the democratic opposition in Belarus.
The regime of Lukashenko takes full responsibility for the migrants whom it has been flying to Belarus and for their fate as well. The dictator makes big time money on this scheme. The price for the transportation to the border area ranges from USD 2,000 to 14,000. It is estimated that the entities implicated in said migratory route have so far made tens of millions of dollars on it. The profits go mostly to Belarusian state institutions.
Belarusian propaganda machine seeks to play on the feelings of the target audiences. It is common for the Belarusian border services to transport the whole families with children or even women in late-term pregnancy to the Polish border. This serves to stir up guilt and other mixed emotions among the Polish troops on the one hand, but also to use these most vulnerable migrants for the purposes of extremely suggestive propaganda efforts targeted at the public opinion – both Polish and international – and the authorities of Poland on the other. Thus, the migrants who arrive in Belarus end up as weapons in the hybrid war waged by Lukashenko. They are duped and used by the dictator.
Faced with this serious threat, all Polish authorities are making every effort to ensure that Poland and Poles are safe and protected. These efforts include preventive actions, increased Border Guard, Polish Armed Forces and police presence as well as the construction of a permanent wall.
It is a hybrid warfare where the Belarusian state apparatus is cynically using the migrants, staging dangerous provocations against the Polish border guards and soldiers and conducting aggressive disinformation campaigns. EU and NATO, whose borders with Belarus are in fact the very borders Poland, Latvia and Lithuania have with Belarus, share this assessment. They realize that our efforts to prevent the 2014/2015 European migrant crisis from happening again now are indispensable.
The circumstances that Poland is now facing require any political disagreements to be put aside. It is a matter of security of the entire European Community and values that unite EU countries.
Poland’s unwavering opposition to the actions taken by the Belarusian authorities is also supported by the European Commission and NATO. It is also firm opposition to aggression and disgraceful use of those who suffer as human shields.
The Polish Foreign Ministry stays in close contact with our political partners in Africa and the Middle-East in order to prevent and impede the illegal migration organized by Belarus.
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In the week 20–26 December, the Border Guard reported 309 attempts to illegally cross the Polish-Belarusian border, compared to 461 the week before.
The number of attempts has slightly decreased since the last week. 236 of attempts were prevented and in 57 cases the orders based on the art. 303b of the Act on foreigners were issued. 16 third country nationals were apprehended or otherwise further proceed.
Since the beginning of the year until 26 December, 39 533 attempts to illegally cross the border with Belarus were recorded, of which 33 664 were prevented.
Polish forces continue to prevent attempts to forcibly cross the Polish border by groups of migrants orchestrated by Belarusian services. The groups are usually smaller and range from approx. 4 to 69 persons. The attempts to cross the border are similar in nature – migrants coordinated by the Belarusian services are using wooden logs, destroying the concertina wire and are blinding the Polish forces by laser lights and flash lights.
In the reporting week 41 modern thermal imaging cameras worth over PLN 2 million went to the Podlaski Border Guard Center. The equipment will help the Border Guard officers to effectively protect the POL-BY border.
Camera sets can be used in the border service all year round, in all weather conditions, day and night.