Poland Extends Belarus Border Zone Despite 98 Percent Drop in Crossings

(MENAFN) Poland has extended a restricted-access buffer zone along a stretch of its frontier with Belarus for another 90 days, the Interior Ministry announced Wednesday, citing persistent security concerns along the EU's eastern border — even as illegal crossing attempts have plummeted by a staggering 98% compared to the same period last year.

The exclusion zone, spanning approximately 78 kilometers (48 miles) of the Belarus border, will remain active until August 31. First introduced in June 2024, the measure has now been renewed for the eighth consecutive time.

The scale of the decline in crossings is stark: Polish authorities recorded just 215 illegal crossing attempts between January and May this year, compared to more than 10,600 during the same five-month stretch in 2024. Yet the ministry insisted the dramatic reduction was no cause for complacency.

"The reduced pressure does not mean the end of the crisis," the ministry said, arguing that Belarus has simply redirected its destabilization efforts toward the borders with Lithuania and Latvia.

The ministry maintained that preserving the zone was essential to ensure "the highest operational vigilance and high effectiveness of border protection," adding that the majority of this year's crossing attempts were concentrated precisely within the restricted area — reinforcing the case for keeping it in place.

The announcement coincided with a high-level border security meeting at the Kuznica-Bruzgi crossing, where Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski hosted Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan for discussions on EU-wide border security strategy. The talks come ahead of Ireland's assumption of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in July, according to a Polish broadcaster.

Poland has been grappling with sustained migration pressure along its Belarusian frontier since 2021. Warsaw and Brussels have consistently accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately orchestrating migrant flows from the Middle East and Africa as a hybrid warfare tactic designed to destabilize the EU — allegations Minsk continues to deny.

In response, Poland has poured substantial resources into hardening its eastern border, erecting a steel barrier and deploying advanced surveillance systems. Kierwinski disclosed that Warsaw has spent nearly 3 billion zloty — approximately $800 million — on border protection measures over the past two years alone.

The security buildup has not gone without controversy. Human rights organizations have leveled serious accusations against Polish authorities, alleging systematic unlawful pushbacks of migrants and the deliberate obstruction of access to formal asylum procedures.

MENAFN04062026000045017169ID1111209525