How is Poland fighting the crisis at the border? PLN 2.5 billion annually for protection

How is Poland fighting the crisis at the border? PLN 2.5 billion annually for protection

Protecting the Polish-Belarusian border costs Poland PLN 2.5 billion annually. The costs include, among others: the construction of a wall and the constant presence of thousands of officers, which is part of the fight against hybrid war.

The annual cost of securing the Polish-Belarusian border is currently PLN 2.5 billion, which constitutes a serious burden on the Polish budget. This conflict does not take traditional forms, but bears the hallmarks of a hybrid war that combines elements of cyberattacks, disinformation and migration pressure. Poland is struggling with this challenge by delegating approximately 8,000 uniformed services officers, including policemen and soldiers, working on a rotation system to protect the border. These data were provided by “Rzeczpospolita” based on recent reports from the “Politico” website.

Increased expenditure on border infrastructure

Securing the border is not only about the presence of services. Much of the cost results from the construction of the wall, which is intended to physically limit the possibility of illegal border crossings. This structure, built over a length of several hundred kilometers, is reinforced with the latest monitoring technologies, which include, among others: thermal imaging cameras and motion detection systems. Moreover, the permanent presence of thousands of officers requires the provision of appropriate equipment, vehicles and equipment, which generates additional costs.

Maintaining centers where people detained for illegally crossing the border are also important. Each of several such centers requires daily financial support, which includes not only staff costs, but also the provision of food, medical care and other necessary services.

Migrants as a tool of pressure

The problem on the Polish-Belarusian border results primarily from the policy of the Belarusian authorities and support from Russia. We are talking about the so-called a hybrid war in which migrants became a tool of pressure on the European Union. Since 2021, Alexander Lukashenko’s regime has been organizing the transport of migrants from the Middle East and Africa to Minsk, and then enabling them to try to illegally cross the border with Poland, Lithuania or Latvia. These actions are perceived as part of a destabilizing strategy aimed at putting pressure on European countries and causing confusion in the region.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently informed EU leaders that Poland incurs annual costs of EUR 600 million in connection with this phenomenon, which is the equivalent of over PLN 2.5 billion. This amount was also confirmed by the Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration, Czesław Mroczek. As he noted, maintaining security on the border with Belarus is becoming more and more expensive.

Political and international context

The situation on the Polish-Belarusian border is just one element of a broader crisis taking place in Eastern Europe. As a result of Belarus’s rapprochement with Russia after the 2020 presidential elections and the brutal suppression of protests against electoral fraud, Minsk found itself on the margins of European politics. In response to the sanctions imposed by the European Union, Alexander Lukashenko decided to use the migration problem as a form of retaliation.

Belarus, supported by Russia, brings migrants from the Middle East and Africa and then sends them to the borders with EU countries. These actions are aimed at destabilizing Poland and other eastern EU countries, such as Lithuania and Latvia. Migrants, often left without support and taken to the border in difficult conditions, are used as a tool of political pressure.

Growing challenges for Poland

In response to this threat, Poland is not only strengthening the physical protection of the border, but also engaging in diplomatic activities in the European Union and NATO to draw attention to the threat resulting from the actions of Lukashenko and Putin. It is worth noting that, apart from Poland, other Baltic countries, such as Lithuania and Latvia, are also struggling with similar problems and have also been affected by migration pressure.

The costs related to border protection do not concern only Poland. The entire European Union is struggling with this problem, trying to find an answer to hybrid actions that are destabilizing the region. Migration from countries affected by conflict, especially from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, is largely the result of global tensions to which Europe is not always able to respond effectively.

What’s next?

The situation on the Polish-Belarusian border shows that Europe must be ready for new security challenges, which are increasingly taking the form of hybrid actions. Poland, being one of the countries on the eastern flank of the EU, plays a key role in defending the community’s borders. In this context, the growing financial and organizational costs of border protection are a necessary expense aimed at ensuring security not only for Poland, but also for the whole of Europe.

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