Warsaw: Poland will reestablish a 200-meter buffer zone at its border with Belarus early next week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday. This decision follows a recent attack on a Polish soldier at the frontier, which left him fighting for his life.
The border between Poland and Belarus has been a contentious area since 2021, when migrants began arriving en masse. This influx was reportedly facilitated by Belarus, a close ally of Russia, which allegedly set up travel agencies in the Middle East to create an unofficial route into Europe. The European Union has accused Belarus of orchestrating this crisis, an allegation that Belarus denies. Minsk did not immediately respond to Tusk’s announcement.
“It was recommended to us that we should quickly restore the 200-meter buffer zone in this area where possible… we are ready to take such a decision at the beginning of next week,” Tusk stated during a press conference near the border.
Recent weeks have seen a surge in attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally, accompanied by several violent incidents. On Tuesday, a Polish soldier sustained life-threatening injuries after being stabbed through the border fence.
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“We are not dealing with any asylum seekers here; we are dealing with a coordinated, very careful operation on many levels to break the Polish border and try to destabilize the country,” Tusk said.
Poland has allocated 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) to bolster its border with Belarus. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated that Poland is prepared to increase the number of troops stationed at the border, which currently stands at 5,500, although he did not specify by how many.
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The buffer zone was initially implemented in 2021 by the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government. At that time, human rights advocates and members of Tusk’s own Civic Coalition (KO) criticized the measure, arguing that it hindered aid workers’ efforts to assist migrants, including women and children, stranded at the border.
Karolina Szymanska from the refugee charity Ocalenie Foundation condemned Tusk’s renewed buffer zone policy as “shameful.” She asserted, “It continues the policy of Law and Justice. Most people who run away are people fleeing from violence, war, and persecution.”
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Attempts to reach the head of Tusk’s office for comment were unsuccessful.
Marcin Przydacz, a PiS lawmaker and former deputy foreign minister during the 2021 migrant crisis, defended the buffer zone’s necessity. However, he criticized Tusk for introducing the measure after previously opposing it while in opposition.
