The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched a new campaign under the slogan: “The Poland-Belarus border is not an open door for illegal immigration.” This initiative aims to combat illegal migration and inform migrants about the misinformation campaigns spearheaded by Russian and Belarusian propaganda.
In response to the escalating issue of illegal migration, the Polish government is intensifying its efforts to stem the flow of newcomers.
“Together with the Ministry of National Defense and the Border Guard, we are sending a clear message to all potential immigrants: Do not attempt to cross the border. Do not let yourselves be exploited by Belarusian and Russian services,” the ministry stated in a special announcement on X.
To bolster this message, the ministry also released a video in English showcasing the vigilant efforts of Polish uniformed services operating along the troubled Poland-Belarus border.
Echoing the national campaign, Polish embassies in Iraq, Jordan, Angola, and Belarus have also published similar messages, spreading the word to a broader audience in an effort to curb the tide of illegal crossings by educating potential migrants about the risks and realities at the border.
According to the Polish Border Guard, since the beginning of the year, there have been over 19,000 attempts to illegally cross the border from Belarus into Poland. From the start of June alone, there were more than 2,800 such attempts. In May, the number exceeded 8,000, and in April nearly 3,400 attempts were recorded. The individuals detained hailed from 35 different countries.
On June 13, a buffer zone was introduced along approximately 60 kilometers of the Poland-Belarus border. Since its establishment, the number of illegal crossing attempts has halved, as reported by Major Katarzyna Zdanowicz, spokesperson for the Podlaskie region Border Guard.
The introduction of this buffer zone has also resulted in a decrease in the number of smugglers being detained. Efforts to strengthen the electronic barrier along the border with Belarus are set to continue until October 2024, with a new contract signed last week, added the spokesperson.
