Poland is introducing additional security measures on its border with Belarus to counter hybrid threats, the Polish government announced on November 14th.
The decision to strengthen security measures was made when Poland reopened two joint border crossings with Belarus. These were closed in September when Belarusian and Russian forces conducted large-scale military exercises in the region. Poland has also long accused Belarus of luring asylum seekers and then herding them en masse towards the border in order to destabilize the country.
“We have sealed [the border] in such a way that the risk of illegal crossings has been reduced to an absolute minimum,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference on Friday, November 14th.
“And this is why I decided, in consultation with local authorities and entrepreneurs from Podlaskie, to open these border crossings,” Tusk said, adding that the reopening of the borders will be strictly controlled.
Additional mesh fences will be erected in the Podlaskie province, alongside the metal barriers along the road. The fence will be 4 meters (13 feet) high and will be topped with barbed wire. In addition, thermal cameras will be installed on 10-meter (33 feet) high poles, confirmed Brigadier General Sławomir Klekotka, commander of the Podlaskie border guard unit.
This will be a “second line of defense” that will help border guards stop migrants who cross the first barrier. The materials needed for construction are already being delivered to the border.
