Poland is set to deploy an additional 2,000 troops to its border with Belarus in response to growing concerns over illegal migration, according to an announcement made by the Polish government on Wednesday.
This is twice the number that the Border Guard agency had initially requested. Maciej Wasik, a deputy interior minister, accused the Belarusian authorities of organizing illegal migration in an interview with state news agency PAP.
He acknowledged that while the migration pressure on the Polish-Belarusian border area is increasing, it does not compare to the situation two years ago when large numbers of migrants from the Middle East and Africa arrived at the border with the help of flights and visas provided by the Minsk government. Warsaw considered this to be a form of "hybrid warfare."
Wasik emphasized that if there were genuine border guards on the other side instead of a smuggling service, these crossings would not exist at all. In response to the situation, Polish authorities had previously constructed a tall steel wall, which has reduced the number of migrants and refugees crossing the border, but has not completely stopped them.
The fallout from Russia's war against Ukraine has also raised concerns, including the presence of Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries in Belarus this summer after their short-lived mutiny in Russia. Belarus recently began military exercises near its border with Poland and Lithuania, and last week, two Belarusian helicopters briefly entered Polish airspace, which was seen by Warsaw as a deliberate provocation.
The additional 2,000 troops will join the existing 2,000 already stationed at the border, providing support to hundreds of police and Border Guard officers, as reported by PAP. Wasik stated that these new troops will reach their destination within the next two weeks.
The decision to deploy additional troops comes as Poland prepares for its parliamentary election on October 15. President Andrzej Duda, who is seeking a third term, and the ruling authorities he is allied with, are keen to demonstrate their commitment to security and defense.
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