FALCON POWERS – Around 10 people have gathered near the reinforced barbed wire fence in the dense forests on the border in Belarus, waiting for an opportunity to climb or breach the fence and head west into Poland.
On the other side, Polish border guards and armed soldiers are patrolling back and forth as the group, mostly young people from the Middle East, some of whom have been injured by the sharp wires, watches. Migration-related tensions are escalating across Europe, with a confrontation between far-right parties calling for stricter controls and centrist movements in the European Parliament elections.
Voting is taking place in Poland on Sunday as part of the European Parliament elections.
In Poland, the geopolitical aspect compounds the situation, as Poland and the EU accuse Belarus and Russia of trying to sow chaos since 2021 by pushing migrants across the border in what Warsaw calls a “hybrid war”. Minsk and Moscow have denied these accusations. The numbers of arrivals have increased recently, according to the Polish government. One patrol soldier died last week from wounds sustained in a confrontation with migrants on the border on May 28.
In response, the centrist, EU-supporting government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced plans to re-establish a restricted zone along the border. “These borders are unfortunately not safe. The purpose of this zone is to ensure that no one is subjected to the attacks that Polish soldiers are experiencing,” said Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Soloch.
