Polish border guards prevent group of more than 200 migrants from crossing from Belarus
April 10, Pozirk. Border guards and soldiers in Poland’s Podlaskie region stopped a group of more than 220 people coming from Belarus this morning, amid a spike in illegal migration, according to the Polish Border Guard.
The group tried to enter near the Białowieża checkpoint. They were aggressive and threw sticks and stones at patrols and later retreated to Belarus.
The Poles released a video showing people carrying several ladders to climb over a barrier.
Migrants from Asia and Africa have used the Belarus route since the spring of 2021.
Alaksandar Łukašenka, angered by EU sanctions, had indicated that Minsk would not prevent migrants from Africa and Asia from using Belarus as a route to the EU. The crisis escalated in November 2021, with hundreds of migrants storming the Polish border.
In June 2021, the Belarusian government announced the suspension of a readmission agreement with the EU in response to sanctions that followed the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk.
The Baltic States and Poland accused Belarusian authorities of creating the trouble, while the latter blamed it on the West.
European authorities foiled 31,892 illegal crossing attempts in 2022 and 42,078 in 2023.
More than 7,000 attempts have been reported since the beginning of the year: 5,941 in Poland, 994 in Latvia and 153 in Lithuania. April alone saw 2,307 incidents.
Illegal Belarus-EU border crossings exceed 7,000 since January
- Security
- Politics, SocietyInterior ministry adds opposition politician, 12 others to its extremist listThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security
- PoliticsRights groups: Łukašenka responsible for indoctrination of Ukrainian kidsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals continue unabated ahead of 2025 presidential campaignThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka lashes out against Western sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus projects $1.3bn budget deficit in 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsIllegal border crossings go down in early OctoberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMačuliščy attack suspects sentenced to prisonThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyChinese brands account for two-thirds of dealerships’ car sales in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyŁukašenka suggests new program to revive PaleśsieThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja thanks Polish interior minister for helping BelarusiansThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyExiled Belarusian university launches economics programThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security
- Economy
- Politics, Society“Anyone who is not state propagandist automatically becomes extremist" – KarbalevičThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityBelarusian troops in Kazakhstan training to deliver humanitarian aidThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyGovernment submits 2025 tax, budget bills to legislatureThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityLithuania bans civil servants with access to classified data from traveling to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- SocietyNumber of teachers in Belarus down 8,100 since 2020The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- EconomyBelarus’ PM boasts about growing imports from AzerbaijanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: authorities blacklist dissenters and their initiativesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyKGB calls women's education project extremistThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyNaviband wins Vasil Bykaŭ Freedom of Thought awardThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyViasna: at least 94 political prisoners released in SeptemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsAlfa-Bank plays down UK sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB adds Viačorka, others to terrorism listThe material is available only to POZIRK+