Thousands of trees were cut down along the Bug River to defend the border. “Migrants choose other routes”

To better protect Poland’s border with Belarus, the government decided on far-reaching interference in the area along the Bug River. Thousands of trees were cut down there to make it more difficult for migrants to enter the European Union via this route.

Border crisis. Poland cut down trees along the Bug River

In place of the cleared trees, 1,800 camera poles will be built, with 4,500 cameras mounted on them. Everything will be connected by 200 km of power cables and another 200 km of transmission cables. In this way, the Polish authorities plan to seal this section of the border.

OKO.press, however, argues that the government’s actions are wrong. “Hundreds of thousands of trees were destroyed along the entire section of the Bug River on the border with Belarus. This is to prevent migrants from entering Poland through the river. However, this is not an easy path and migrants usually choose other routes,” we read.

Wajrak about cutting down trees on the Polish side of the Bug

A similar opinion is shared by “Gazeta Wyborcza” journalist Adam Wajrak, who commented on the services’ activities on TOK FM radio. He called the decision to cut it down “completely absurd.”

– I don’t believe that electronics cannot be placed in a gentle, nature-friendly way. Especially by the river, where there are no obstructions to observation. The cameras should be directed at the river and the Belarusian side, at what is happening there
– he said.

In his opinion, 170 km of the bank of the unique river was devastated. He emphasized that it was not only about environmental costs. – These are also huge costs for the country’s security, because now, with an openly hostile country on the other side of the river, our services are at a loss. They are simply in an open area, he said.

As he added, the high Polish bank on the Bug River without trees would start to slide. – The Border Guard should know this perfectly well. Because when she put the so-called concertina (a razor wire barrier built on the border with Belarus – ed.), many sections were pulled into the water. So I don’t understand putting the installation right on the shore at all, he noted.

– This is bordering on sabotage. It’s hard to believe that anyone with sense could come up with something like that, he concluded.