The Polish Defense Minister said on Wednesday (August 18) that after the surge in illegal border crossings, Poland has sent more than 900 soldiers to help protect the border with Belarus.
Poland and Lithuania, which are member states of the European Union, reported that the number of immigrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq that tried to enter their country from Belarus this year has increased sharply.
The EU accuses Minsk of using immigration as a tool to exert pressure on the EU because it imposes sanctions on Belarus. Minsk has denied this accusation. Lithuania wants the EU to approve stricter immigration rules.
“The Polish army is supporting the border guards to protect the border with Belarus…More than 900 soldiers participated in this operation,” Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszak wrote on Twitter.
In an e-mail statement, the Polish Ministry of the Interior set the number of troops involved in the operation at about 1,000. It said that if necessary, more soldiers and police could be sent.
The ministry stated that 2,100 people attempted to cross the Polish-Belarus border illegally this month, of which 138 attempted to cross illegally in the past 24 hours. Of these, 1,342 were prevented from crossing the border and 758 were detained.
The Border Guard has previously stated that it has detained 122 illegal immigrants at the border throughout 2020.
The government said on Tuesday that it had passed a draft law to expedite the deportation of illegal immigrants.
The private broadcaster TVN24 stated that about 50 immigrants trapped between the Belarusian and Polish border guards have set up a temporary camp at the border.
