-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Ivan Khomenko")
Poland aims to finish the construction of a border wall along its eastern frontier with Belarus by mid-2025 to curb the flow of migrants, which Warsaw has described as a hybrid warfare tactic orchestrated by Russia, according to Financial Times.
Maciej Dusić, the Deputy Minister for Migration, stated that the additional works along the 400-kilometer border are expected to be completed by the middle of 2025. He emphasized that once the construction is finished, the security level at the border will reach “nearly 100%.”
Construction of the border wall began in late 2021 after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko directed tens of thousands of migrants to the Polish border. Many of these migrants had obtained visas for direct flights from the Middle East and Africa to Moscow or Minsk, from where they were transported by buses to the border area with Poland.
The project to fortify the border was highlighted as a key priority under Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s leadership, who took office in 2023. The Polish government has expanded its security measures, including installing night vision cameras, thermal imagers, and building new roads for border patrols. The previously constructed five-meter steel fence, erected in 2022, is also being reinforced.
The total investment for enhancing border security is expected to exceed 2.5 billion zlotys (approximately 587 million euros), with half of the funds coming from Tusk’s government budget.
Dusić confirmed that the migration route, which he described as artificially created, would be shut down by next summer. However, he added that Poland must remain prepared for potential escalation attempts by Lukashenko, including sabotage efforts aimed at undermining the reinforced border infrastructure.
Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that Poland is considering the potential economic and community impact of closing its border crossings with Belarus. The remarks followed the fatal stabbing of a Polish soldier during a migrant surge at the border, which Sikorski described as part of a coordinated operation by Russian and Belarusian authorities.
