Tension Rising in Europe: Belarus-Poland Migrant Crisis Explained

Rory Sullivan, Staff Writer

December 12, 2021

Slow-burning tensions between Poland and Belarus are beginning to blow up, with migrant men, women, and children caught in the middle. Development of this conflict began in 2020, when Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s election was declared illegitimate by the European Union, with the latter placing sanctions on Belarus last year as a result. President Lukashenko then retaliated, allowing migrants mainly from the Middle East into Belarus and channeling them towards Poland and the European Union to disrupt and destabilize the continent, though Lukashenko has denied these accusations. Migrants are being used as pawns in this conflict and suffering from inhumane treatment as a result.

Human Rights Watch reports that 13 people have died so far as a result of the inhumane conditions from Poland and Belarus. Poland has tear-gassed migrants trying to cross, blaming them for “attacking” border police. Polish border police have also been separating families at the border, tearing away parents and children without providing any information or updates, another allegation denied by the Polish government. As migrants are pushed back from the Polish border, they are forced to face inhumane conditions in Belarus; freezing detainment “camps”, a lack of food and water, and separation from family. Approximately 2000 migrants are living in these “camps”, though there are reports that there are nearly 10,000 migrants in Belarus attempting to reach the EU for asylum. The migrants detained at the camps cannot even return to their home countries, stuck as the victims of a conflict that has nothing to do with them.

Poland has reported multiple attempted crossings, alleging that migrants are being violent and aggressive by throwing stones and stun grenades, threatening Polish border officers who they argue are being forced to “defend” themselves against migrants. Belarus is choosing to deny that they are treating migrants inhumanely to begin with. Though migrants are the ones who are suffering in this conflict, it seems that both Poland and Belarus are the ones with support from the EU and Russia, respectively, while migrants are forgotten. The Human Rights Watch has  called on  the European Union to condemn the actions of Poland and to place the rights of migrants above their allegiance to a country that is treating people inhumanely and illegally denying them asylum rights.

It is clear that Belarus is using migrants searching for a better life in the European Union as political pawns to send a message; cementing their role as a country that is powerful enough to destabilize the EU. By placing sanctions on President Lukashenko in 2020, it lead to Belarus to retaliate, using migrants to paint the European Union as the inhumane villain while Belarus is the benevolent humanitarian leader by allowing migrants passage to reach the border. But this conflict has no heroes. Belarus is using migrants, including children, to seek revenge. Poland is committing human rights violations by denying asylum, splitting families, and assaulting migrants. To maintain their political alliance, the European Union refuses to denounce the actions of Poland, leaving migrants without anyone in their corner.

The stand-off does not seem to be easing up, with migrants still being held in detainment centers in hopes of being able to cross the border to reach life in the EU. Both sides are standing firm in their positions, with no clear end in sight. Belarus’  main concern remains their reputation, along with their message to the European Union. Poland has a long history of nationalism and has recently passed legislation, with criticism from the European Commission, allowing them to legally turn away migrants at the border. Finally, from the migrant perspective, there is no return home; they left in search of a better life and refuse to leave quietly. As no parties have shown signals of attempting compromise, the crisis for migrants will continue with no clear end in sight.