Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a visit to the border with Belarus in Ozierany Wielkie, eastern Poland, 11 May 2024. He is visiting the border again on 29 May after a Polish soldier was stabbed by an illegal migrant trying to force his way across the border. EPA-EFE/PAWEL SUPERNAK
WARSAW, Poland — In response to a recent violent incident, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday that Poland will further fortify its border with Belarus. This decision follows the serious wounding of a Polish soldier, who was stabbed by a migrant at the border.
Prime Minister Tusk stated that a buffer zone approximately 200 meters (660 feet) wide will be established along the border, in addition to the existing 190-kilometer (118-mile) long metal barrier designed to curb the influx of migrants from Belarus. This border also serves as the eastern frontier of the European Union. Poland maintains that the ongoing pressure from illegal migration is orchestrated by Belarus and Russia.
Tusk indicated that the final decision on the implementation of the buffer zone will be made next week.
Accompanied by defense and interior ministers, Tusk visited the troops, border guards, and police forces stationed at the border, following the knife attack on a soldier early Tuesday near the village of Dubicze Cerkiewne. The soldier remains hospitalized in serious condition.
According to officials, the assailant, a migrant, reached across the bars of the more than 5-meter (16-foot) high metal wall separating Poland and Belarus and stabbed the soldier in the ribs. The attacker could not be detained by Polish security forces as he remained on the Belarusian side of the barrier.
“There is no room for negotiation. Poland’s border must be protected,” Tusk declared. “Polish troops, border guards, officers have become the targets of aggression and you have every right, not to say an obligation, to use every means available to you … when you are defending not only the border but also your own life.”
In light of the recent aggression, Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the deployment of additional police and military forces to the area.
The pro-EU government asserts that the surge in illegal migration is a deliberate attempt by Russia and Belarus to destabilize Europe, coinciding with Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Polish authorities have noted a shift in the demographics of migrant groups, now predominantly composed of young men rather than families with women and children as seen previously. So far this year, more than 13,000 attempts at illegal crossings have been registered, marking an increase from the same period last year.
As Poland continues to face mounting challenges at its eastern border, the government’s measures aim to ensure the security and stability of the nation, as well as the broader European Union.