The migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border is affecting more than just Central European EU member states. According to the German Press Agency (DPA), the number of illegal migrants who have crossed the German border using the route through Poland and Belarus has been been on a swift uptick since August.
Between January and July 2021, only 26 such cases had been recorded, whereas 474 were noted in August. In the month of September, 1914 were recorded. And in the ten-day period of October 1 and 11, 1934 illegal migrants crossed the German border.
The majority of the migrants come from Iraq, but many of them also hail from Syria, Yemen, and Iran. The German regions most affected by the new migration wave are Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, and Saxony, according to the German police.
Migration centers in Germany are beginning to overflow, especially in Brandenburg. German authorities are increasing the number of available places in the centers. “The situation is not dramatic, but it is difficult,” said the head of the center for migrants in Brandenburg near the Polish border. He added that the greatest challenge is the necessity to ensure essential sanitary conditions for migrants due to the COVID pandemic.
Several EU states have accused Alexander Lukashenko of organizing the new waves of migrants arriving on the EU’s Western border and trying to enter Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Despite strengthened control and surveillance, thousands of migrants are crossing these borders, and some of them are assisted by smugglers.
Poland to build new security system on the border
Due to the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border, the Polish government has accepted a draft bill concerning building a thoroughly updated security system on the border. The document, which was directed to parliament as a matter of urgency, entails the construction of “a solid, tall barrier equipped with a modern surveillance and movement detection system.”
In layperson’s terms, the barrier described appears to be a wall.
The document justified this wall’s construction by explaining that it would contribute to efficient counteraction of illegal migration.
Separate laws are to be used in the case of the investment, including construction laws. The expropriation of property is foreseen in the bill. The total cost of the barrier is to be PLN 1,65 billion (EUR 353 million). The project’s formal investor is the Polish Border Guard and the institution’s budget will be increased by over a billion PLN this year.