Poland to build defense walls on eastern border

2024-05-11 15:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday that Poland will begin work on further strengthening its entire eastern border as the country faces a "hybrid war" of illegal immigration from Belarus.

Tusk did not elaborate on the planned actions, but added that "when it comes to Poland's security, there are no limits."

"The border between Poland and Belarus is a special place, due to the pressure from illegal immigration. In fact, we are dealing with a hybrid war," Tusk said during a meeting with soldiers and border guards.

"I don't want there to be any doubts here, a country with very aggressive intentions against Poland, such as Belarus, is organizing this practice on the Polish border," he added.

The previous Polish government and the European Union accused Belarus in 2021 of inciting a wave of migrants to pressure the EU over sanctions imposed on Minsk.

Belarus had denied these accusations. Attempts to cross the border have continued since then. The number of migrants trying to cross the border depends on the weather. But the border guard of Poland says that there are about 300 attempts a day to cross the border illegally.

The strained relations between the neighbors have increased even more since Belarus's ally, Russia, launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The previous government built a metal wall on the Polish-Belarusian border, which was 180 kilometers long and 5.5 meters high, to protect against illegal immigration. It is equipped with a system of cameras and sensors that monitor the border.

Tusk said that the new walls will be erected along the "entire eastern border", i.e. along the border with Ukraine and Russia, although he did not elaborate.

"It is not only the internal border of Poland, but it is also the border of the EU. Therefore, I have no doubt that the whole of Europe will invest in its own security by investing in Poland's eastern border and in the security of our borders," said Tusk./ Rel