Grupa Granica founder Anna Alboth says that while the number of migrants from the Middle East has fallen from its peak just a few months back, it is still a significant increase in migrants coming from these hotspots. This is due to the harsh Polish winter and the physical challenges presented by the forest.
“People are coming. Perhaps it is not because of the special organized flights. Alboth says that it could be normal flights coming from Istanbul, Beirut or Iraq. However, we are meeting people who arrived in December or January.”
As the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the border Belarus shares with Ukraine is under constant surveillance. On the other side, Belarus’ western border with Poland was the focus of attention a few months ago. This was due to the U.S. and Europe claiming that the migrant crisis created by Alexander Lukasenko, Belarus’ strongman leader was manufactured. Six months after the crisis started, hundreds of migrants are still in limbo and being held in centers in Poland and Belarus.
Europe accused Lukashenko of leading a “hybrid warfare” that relied upon the movement of large numbers of migrants from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to break through the Polish border. According to the New York Times, the Belarusian government encouraged migrants to cross into Belarus by easing visa requirements and increasing the number of flights to Belarus. They also provided wire cutters to cut through border fences. After European sanctions against Belarus were imposed after Lukashenko’s election, which was condemned by the U.S. as fraudulent, Lukashenko launched a migrant assault.
Josep Borrell (High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) called Lukashenko’s use of vulnerable migrants an “abhorrent attempt at deflect attention from regime’s continuing disregard for international laws.”
In September, Poland started to defend its border aggressively. It used tear gas and water cannons to attack migrants trying to cross the border and enacted an entry ban with Belarus. This stopped not only migrants but also humanitarian organisations and journalists.
For many months, hundreds of migrants stayed in temporary camps near the barbed wire fence that divides Poland and Belarus. Many of the migrants who made it to the other side of the border didn’t have a place to go so they hid in the woods, afraid of being discovered by Polish border guards.
The border crisis eased in December after a European diplomatic effort. Lukashenko advised migrants that they could either head west or home and blamed the European Union, according to Reuters. Belarus started repatriation flights and sent 3,817 Iraqi migrants home. The United Nations also assisted in the flight, repatriating 381 more migrants.
Many remain detained in detention centers. 1,600 people who managed to get past the Polish border guards are currently being held at centers managed by border enforcement. However, different aid organizations claim that this number could be higher.
Alboth stated to CBS News that people detained in Poland’s detention centers are being treated worse than prisoners and that organizations such as hers are not allowed access to these facilities. Alboth said that the organization sends food, clothing and other items to detainees. However, Poland is changing the law constantly.
Grupa Granica complained about the conditions in detention centers, which include poor living conditions, inadequate food rations, and overcrowding.
Although it is not known how many migrants are still living in the Bialowieza forest, the Polish national guard posted on February 12 that more than 1,180 migrants had been apprehended since the start of the year.
On Tuesday, the United Nations released a statement asking Poland to allow journalists and humanitarian workers access to the border zone and to investigate allegations that human rights defenders were harassed.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations in Belarus claims that there are approximately 450 migrants still in Belarus, while aid organizations claim that the actual number may be closer to 800. According to a Red Cross report, they are being held in conditions that “not suitable” for extended stays. According to the report, hundreds of people are still being held at the center despite efforts to repatriate them. This is “due to their inability or unwillingness to repatriate for many reasons.”
Grupa Granica members try to help migrants who are found in the woods before they address any legal issues. Maciej Nowicki (President of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, which is part Grupa Granica), stated that some migrants had been sending aid workers to their location in order to get emergency assistance. To signal their willingness to accept migrants, some locals have green lights placed outside their homes.
Doctors Without Borders retreated from the border in January after being denied treatment for migrants and refugees. In a statement, the group stated that they were being prevented by Polish authorities from providing humanitarian aid to migrants who are in dire need. Doctors Without Borders reports that at least 21 people died trying to cross the border in 2021.
International law allows refugees from conflict areas to apply for asylum. However, humanitarian aid has been blocked at the border so it is up to local residents and Grupa Granica to assist the migrants.
CBS News reached out to the Polish government but did not receive a reply.
Poland is building a wall made of steel and topped with razor wire at its border to stop future migration. According to the Associated Press, the wall will be finished in June and will cost almost $400 million.
Alboth is optimistic that more migrants will be arriving in spring, when it’s warmer, now that the migrant route through Poland is complete. Even if all flights were stopped, this route is still viable. Alboth stated that it will get warmer, and people will continue to come to the forest if they don’t feel like risking their lives by sleeping in the woods.
