By Pedro Soares and Isabela Suzuki
Tensions on the Polish-Belarus border have increased in recent weeks.. No end of August, the Polish government has announced that it will build a fence for 2,5 meters high along its border with Belarus and will intensify the presence of military personnel in the region. Shortly thereafter, in day 2 of September, the President of Poland Andrzej Duda approved a state of emergency in this same border region, which is in force for 30 days. Such provision imposes a series of restrictions such as: prohibit residents from entering the border area, force residents to bring identity documents, limitations in media coverage, prohibition of carrying weapons among others.
Such measures were adopted to contain the high influx of migrants, these being from much of the Middle East, that have crossed the border from Belarus to Eastern European countries belonging to the European Union (EU), like Poland itself, Lithuania and Latvia. The EU suspects that this flow was coordinated by the Belarus government, having the so-called hybrid attack whose purpose is to destabilize neighboring countries. European Union countries believe that this attack from Minsk is an orchestrated retaliation by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for sanctions his government has received from the EU and efforts by the Lithuanian and Polish governments to help opponents of the Lukashenko government. The current Belarusian president was re-elected for a sixth term in August 2020, and your victory has several allegations of fraud.. Since then, your government has severely repressed the demonstrations carried out by its opponents.. One of the aids formulated by Warsaw was the creation of a fund for 11 millions of euros to help Belarusians obtain visas and finance their installation in Poland, amount that was also used to help Belarus NGOs.
While the wall is not ready, Poland's military have already begun work on erecting a barbed wire barrier between the border between the border., with approximately 180 kilometers, almost half the length between both countries. Poles aim as soon as their goals materialize, and that they succeed in promoting stability and preventing the entry into European territory of migrants from Belarus.
References :
WODZIĆSKI,Matthew. Poland strengthens border with Belarus. Euro news. 28 August 2021.
Not able since 1994, Lukashenko is re-elected president of Belarus, says the election commission. G1. 10 August 2020.
Government of Poland approves state of emergency at border with Belarus. State of Minas. 2 September 2021.
SOKOLOWSKI, Czarek. Poland approves border restrictions with Belarus. Euro news. 6 of September 2021.
LUSA. Belarus: Poland and Lithuania announce help to opponents. world by the minute. 14 August 2020.
LUSA. Poland declares state of emergency at the border with Belarus. Express. 2 of September 2021.
OR BALLOON. Poland to build fence on Belarus border after Lukashenko is accused of using migrants as a weapon. Available in: https://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/polonia-vai-construir-cerca-na-fronteira-com-bielorrussia-apos-lukashenko-ser-acusado-de-usar-migrantes-como-arma-25167143.
