In its latest report, the Polish Border Guard announced that between March 14 and 16 (Friday to Sunday), nearly 280 attempts to illegally cross into Poland from Belarus were recorded. “Almost all were prevented. Two individuals were detained for aiding illegal crossings, and five individuals received assistance,” the Border Guard informed.
This marks the highest number of attempts to storm the Polish border in a single weekend this year. One week earlier, from March 7 to 9, the Border Guard reported over 210 attempts.
In total, more than 540 illegal crossing attempts were reported in February.
The increasing number of migrants attempting to cross illegally from Belarus is raising alarm. The daily incidents have escalated from a few or a dozen to dozens of cases. Additionally, migrants are continuously attacking Polish patrols, throwing dangerous objects at officers and border guards, and attempts to destroy the border barrier have also been recorded. This aligns with predictions that after winter and with improving weather conditions, the hybrid warfare conducted by Russia via Belarus, using migrants, will escalate further.
During a recent session of the parliamentary National Defense Committee, deputy ministers Cezary Tomczyk (Ministry of National Defense) and Czesław Mroczek (Ministry of Interior and Administration) reported on the border situation. They argued that enhancements made to the border barrier significantly reduced the number of crossings and violations compared to spring of the previous year. However, the latest Border Guard data indicate the situation remains highly concerning.
Andrzej Śliwka, a Law and Justice (PiS) MP and member of the National Defense Committee, told Niezależna.pl:
“The foundation of our security philosophy should be the protection of our borders. The Law and Justice government emphasized this clearly, undertaking specific actions such as constructing the border barrier. It’s worth recalling that politicians from the Civic Platform (PO) voted against it, destabilized the border guards’ work, attacked uniformed personnel, and celebrities from their circles insulted soldiers. For Tusk, illegal migrants were ‘poor people.’ Nonetheless, step by step, we’ve strengthened Poland’s security. Without these measures, Poland would be in a completely different situation.”
Śliwka also stressed the need to continuously strengthen defense capabilities in this region. “Yet, apart from press conferences and online posts, nothing substantial is happening in this area. The ‘Eastern Shield’ remains merely a concept on paper. Government representatives and the Ministry of National Defense are inactive, even though they possess ready-made plans left behind by Minister Mariusz Błaszczak,” he added.
“Increasing the number of soldiers on the border seems necessary. Currently, 6,000 troops are deployed under the ‘Safe Podlasie’ operation. We should consider deploying several thousand more to enhance security and deterrence capabilities. Soldiers must also not be left to fend for themselves. They need proper equipment and guarantees that they won’t later face prosecution and imprisonment by prosecutors with biased agendas for justified use of force. Such scandalous situations, unprecedented elsewhere, must never occur again,” concluded the PiS deputy.