Migrant Waves Rise, Poland Closes Border With Belarus

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski (PolandMFA)

Warsaw are considering completely closing the border with Belarus, on suspicion of a migrant attempt from a third country crossing into Poland from Belarus, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Saturday, June 22, 2024.

There is one crossing of the passenger border and cargo between Belarus and Poland at this time.

"As a result of the Belarusian actions, we are considering the possibility of closing all border crossings," Sikorski said in his appearance on the TVN channel as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, June 23.

Currently, Polish authorities are studying whether the move will affect the Polish economy, the diplomat said.

Recently, Polish border guards reported almost daily on the aggressive behavior of migrants behind an iron fence on the border with Belarus.

An average of 200 people try to cross the border fence every day. Throwing stones and twigs at Polish border guards is one of the most common problems.

The problem occurred in mid-2021, when tens of thousands of migrants clustered on the border between Belarus and Poland, as well as neighboring Latvian and Lithuanian countries, in an attempt to enter the European Union.

Polish authorities have tightened border controls, deployed troops, and accused Belarus of masterminding a migrant crisis.

The Belarusian government rejected the allegations, and accused the Polish government of abusing the narrative of the migrant crisis to aggressively push migrants into Belarus.