The Podlaskie Border Guard, tasked with securing the vast majority of Poland’s border with Belarus, recorded nearly 30,000 attempts to cross the border illegally last year, official figures published on Tuesday revealed.
The region remains a focal point for migration, with the most significant spike in activity observed in May, totaling over 7,000 incidents.
Two sections of the border at the Białowieża and Dubicze Cerkiewne posts witnessed the highest numbers of illegal crossings, reporting over 9,600 and 9,300 incidents respectively.
The border unit hailed its officers patrolling the 13 posts in the region for their efforts to counter illegal immigration as the ongoing hybrid warfare tactics from Belarus and Russia continued en masse.
Foreign nationals attempting these crossings came from 52 countries, predominantly Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Multiple individuals were also detained from Comoros, Guinea, Sudan, Nepal, Iran, Iraq, India, and Benin.
The Podlaskie Border Guard Unit received nearly 2,700 applications for international protection in 2024, encompassing almost 2,900 individuals. Notably, 88 percent of these applications were submitted by people who had crossed the Polish-Belarusian border illegally.
Authorities detained 346 individuals involved in organizing or aiding illegal border crossings. Among them, 316 were apprehended along the Polish-Belarusian border and 30 near the Polish-Lithuanian border. Those detained were largely citizens of Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus. Officials highlighted the danger posed by these smugglers, who often risked lives in their attempts to evade checkpoints during transport operations.
Despite the challenges, the Border Guard stated its unit had played a critical role in providing humanitarian aid. Officers responded to over 440 emergencies, assisting nearly 500 migrants. Medical teams were summoned more than 330 times, with 307 individuals requiring hospitalization.
Search-and-rescue teams, operational since early 2024, also aided over 150 people.
