Poland’s migration crisis with Belarus isn’t over yet as dozens attempt illegal crossing every day

Dozens of illegal migrants are attempting to cross into Poland every day, with approximately 2,500 illegal crossing attempts recorded in March and April and a total of 1,300 attempts so far in May, according to Polish authorities.

A total of 108 migrants, including citizens of India and Yemen, attempted to illegally cross from Belarus into Poland on Monday, and 75 illegal crossings were attempted on Tuesday, according to the Polish Border Guard.

Some attempted to cross the border via the Świsłocz River, with five Cameroon nationals apprehended at the Krynki outpost after crossing the river on Monday and Tuesday. In the area of the Narewka Border Guard post, 17 foreign nationals identified as young men with Russian visas were detained.

A video has appeared on social media showing migrants trying to breach the border wall with a ladder.

„Chłopaki, jak z Iraku wyjechać na wizie studenckiej?”
„Bracia, jak wyemigrować z Egiptu do EU z przemytnikiem?”
A po dostaniu się na studia ? To wszystko coraz bardziej wiadome już nawet tym, co wiedzieć nie chcą, ale podaję, bo ponoć jakiś film jest robiony o granicy BY-PL? ? pic.twitter.com/gVENc5VAs1

— Klara Maria (@klarasoltan) May 16, 2023

Since the beginning of the year, the Border Guard has recorded over 9,400 illegal crossing attempts from Belarus into Poland, involving migrants from over 40 countries.

The Polish-Belarusian border, spanning 206 kilometers, is now equipped with an electronic barrier consisting of cameras and sensors. This is in addition to the 5.5-meter-high steel fence constructed last year along 186 kilometers of the border.

The electronic barrier is still missing a 150-meter installation on the last of the eleven sections located near Narewka and Białowieża, as current flooding is preventing the completion of the work. Installation of the barrier will be possible once the water level subsides.

All road border crossings in the Podlaskie region with Belarus are closed indefinitely. Only the railway crossings in Kuźnica and Siemianówka remain operational.

The region is currently subject to regulations concerning the border road strip, as specified in the September 2021 and February 2023 decrees, which prohibit individuals from lingering in the vicinity of the entire length of the EU’s external border with Belarus. The border road strip is defined as an area 15 meters wide, counting inland from the state border line.