Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Crisis worsens on Poland-Belarus border as migrants congregate and troops are mobilized

Crisis worsens on Poland-Belarus border as migrants congregate and troops are mobilized

Tensions are escalating on the border between Poland and Belarus, after Polish officials again accused their neighbor of helping move migrants toward the frontier, and warned that thousands of additional military personnel have been mobilized to respond to confrontations.

In the latest in a weeks-long migration crisis at the border, the head of the Polish border guard said that groups of people were attempting to breach the border on Monday evening.

"The situation at the border is difficult. More numerous groups of migrants are led to the border. Attempts are being made to force the border through," Ewelina Szczepańska said, adding that she was confident that Polish forces could handle the situation.

Poland's defense ministry said earlier on Monday on Twitter that "a group of migrants is currently located close to Kuznica." The post was accompanied by aerial footage showing large crowds congregating on the Belarusian side of the border. The ministry added later that: "Currently, migrants have set up a camp in the Kuznica region. They are constantly guarded by the Belarusian services."

The spokesman for the general headquarters of the Polish Border Guard, Michał Tokarczyk, told CNN: "Belarusian services are moving large groups of migrants towards the Polish border. We are waiting for their further move and we are prepared for any scenario."

In a follow-up statement, Tokarczyk specified that there are currently around 4,500 border guards and about 9,500 Polish Army soldiers stationed at the border as "a group of several thousand migrants is heading towards the Polish border."

The Belarus State Border Committee, which is responsible for the country's external borders, said the migrants near the border want to enter Poland as refugees and do not pose a security threat.

A growing number of people have been illegally crossing Poland's border from Belarus in recent weeks. According to Tokarczyk, since August more than 30,000 migrants have attempted to enter the country.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has previously been accused of manufacturing a migrant crisis on the border by the Prime Ministers of neighbors Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, leading Poland to adopt a bill in October for the construction of a wall along its border with Belarus.

European officials have also accused Belarus of encouraging people to cross illegally into Poland, and its other European Union neighbors, as part of efforts to put pressure on the bloc over sweeping sanctions it imposed on Minsk in June. The sanctions by the EU, the US and Britain were a coordinated response to the Lukashenko government's forced landing of a Ryanair flight and arrest of an opposition journalist on board, as well as "continuing repression" in the former Soviet state.

Border crisis spat


In another tweet Monday, Poland's Defense Minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, said thousands of soldiers were "prepared to defend the Polish border."

"More than 12,000 people are on duty at the border ... We raised the state of alert," Blaszczak wrote.

Meanwhile, the Polish Territorial Defense Forces also said in a tweet that it was raising the alert level to support the border guard, adding: "Soldiers! Check your gear and communication equipment, let your employers and families know."

The Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration said earlier on Twitter that migrants on the Belarus side had so far been stopped on Monday and that the situation in Kuznica is under control.

It posted video showing Polish police and other armed personnel standing near a barbed wire fence, with the migrants on the Belarus side. Meanwhile, an urgent government crisis meeting was convened amid the growing tensions, according to the interior ministry.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Facebook: "The border of the Republic of Poland is not just a line of a map. It is sacred -- the blood of Poles was spilt over generations to protect it!"

Lithuania -- which shares a border with both Poland and Belarus -- said it was redeploying troops as tensions continue to escalate, according to the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service and reported by LRT, the Lithuanian public broadcaster.

"We are preparing for all possible scenarios," the public broadcaster quoted Rustamas Liubajevas, the head of Lithuania's border guard, as saying.

A picture taken on Monday shows migrants at the Belarusian-Polish border in the Grodno region.


Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged a strong response from the EU and United Nations.

"Belarus' regime escalates the border crisis -- migrants are pushed to EU border by armed men," she tweeted. "The migrant smuggling, violence & ill-treatment must stop."

Belarusian reaction


Belarusian President Lukashenko's government has repeatedly denied manufacturing a migrant crisis, blaming the West for the crossings and treatment of migrants. CNN has reached out to the Belarusian government for comment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday defended Minsk's handling of the migrant issue, saying Belarus was taking all necessary measures to act legally.

Migrants approach a barbed wire fence along the Belarusian-Polish border.


The Belarus State Border Committee also said in a Facebook statement: "Foreigners who are near the border with Poland declare their intention to enter the territory of a neighboring country and exercise their right to apply for refugee status in the EU. All of these people, including women and children, do not pose a security threat and do not behave aggressively."

The Belarus State Border Committee added it did not rule out provocation from the Polish side. "Taking into account the statements of Polish officials about the concentration of armed forces and equipment near the border, we do not exclude provocative actions by the Polish side aimed at justifying the use of physical force and special means against refugees."

In a later statement the Committee added: "The situation on the Belarusian-Polish border remains extremely tense. More than 2,000 refugees, including a significant number of women and children, are in front of the Polish barriers along the border ... Refugees repeatedly tried to inform the Polish side that they had left their countries because their lives were in danger."

It then accused Polish security forces of deploying tear gas on the migrants and using "aviation to exert psychological pressure," which led to some of them attacking the Polish barriers.

Charities say migrants face grueling conditions trying to cross the border from Belarus in freezing weather with a lack of food and medical attention.

Polish authorities said seven migrants have been found dead on Poland's side of the border, with reports of more deaths in Belarus.

Humanitarian groups also accuse Poland's ruling nationalists of violating the international right to asylum by pushing migrants back into Belarus instead of accepting their applications for protection. Poland says its actions are legal.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Grok 4 Video plus Voice, can identify wildlife!
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
The UK Does Not Have a ‘Far-Right’ Problem
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
×