Polish authorities mulling over 'closing' Poland-Belarus border: Report

Amid the border crisis, Poland Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday, has said that they were considering closing the border with Belarus, according to ANI. The Polish Prime Minister made the remark after his meeting with the Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Tallinn. Presently, Polish authorities have only closed the Kuznica checkpoint on the Belarus-Poland border.

After meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, the Polish Prime Minister said that they were deliberating on measures that need to be taken with increasing economic sanctions. Mateusz Morawiecki further said that they were even thinking over closing the Polish-Belarusian border from their side. As per the ANI report, migrants stranded at the Belarus-Poland border have been trying to reach the European Union.

“We are thinking over the steps associated with increasingly more serious economic sanctions, including closing the Polish-Belarusian border from the Polish side,” Mateusz Morawiecki said as per ANI. 

Migrants attempt to cross the border overnight

Earlier on November 19, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak had claimed that several groups of migrants attempt to cross the border and enter Poland unlawfully during night. Speaking to Polsat television, Polish Defence Minister pointed out that there were several attempts made by migrants to cross the border like the previous nights, reported TASS. Blaszczak has accused the Belarusian forces of supervising the migrants.

As per the TASS report, Polish Defence minister has accused the forces at the Belarus side of helping the migrants in finding the spots that would be feasible for them to cross the border. Mariusz Blaszczak claimed that the people from the Middle East were also given items they require to cross the border. In 2021, Polish security personnel at the border have been successful in preventing 35,000 attempts of unlawful crossing at the Polish-Belarusian border, which as per the report has increased by 400 times. The situation at the border turned tense on 8 November, as thousands of migrants attempted to cross the border.

Migrants flow from Belarus to Germany

Anna Michalaska, the spokeswoman of the Polish Border Guard has said that the number of migrants who are unlawfully crossing the border from Belarus through Poland to Germany has witnessed a drop in November, according to ANI. Michalaska highlighted that if there were 300 people who illegally entered Germany in a day in October, then in recent days, the number has reduced to 40 to 70 people a day. She emphasised that the reduction in numbers of migrants unlawfully crossing the border is due to the measures taken by the Poland border guards.

“If a month ago there were more than 300 such people a day (the documents showed that they got to Minsk, and then illegally entered Germany), then in recent days it is about 40-70 people a day,” Anna Michalaska said as per ANI. 

Inputs from ANI

Image: AP