How to be a humanitarian worker when access is denied: life on the Poland–Belarus border

In the forests that divide Poland from Belarus, those fleeing war-torn countries face a harsh crackdown. Many are being forced back into Belarus and cut off from humanitarian assistance, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are banned from certain border areas. All of this is taking place amid growing public and political hostility and anti-migrant rhetoric.

Since the summer of 2021, thousands of people fleeing conflict, climate disasters and poverty have tried to cross from Belarus through the forests of the ‘green border’ into Poland to seek asylum in the European Union (EU). They are mainly from fragile countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The Belarusian government is alleged by the European Commission to have orchestrated this sharp increase in people attempting to cross into Europe, in retaliation for EU sanctions. But whatever its origins, it is a fact that, without safe alternative routes to Europe, Belarus has become a major transit country for people trying to seek protection in the EU. The actions of both Poland and Belarus are now making an already desperate situation much worse.

As part of the Grupa Granica network of organisations which provide support and assistance to people on the move, we have witnessed first-hand the detrimental impact that this hostility to those on the move has had on our ability to deliver lifesaving assistance.

An escalation in pushbacks and violence

Pushbacks across the border have become alarmingly common, with authorities in both Belarus and Poland forcing migrants – sometimes physically – back and forth between the two countries. In one distressing case, a 23-year-old Syrian man spent nearly a month in the Polish forest after border authorities ignored his calls for help. After contacting our organisation, he once again asked – in the presence of our staff and border guard officers – for international protection in Poland, and was later taken to the border guards’ office. Despite following the legal procedures, he was beaten, intimidated, and forced to sign documents revoking his right to asylum in a language he did not understand, before being pushed back to Belarus.

There are reports of pushbacks even from those who have already stated that they want to apply for international protection in Europe and who should therefore not be subject to return before an individualised assessment of their case under international law has taken place, according to the principle of non-refoulement. The European Court of Human Rights has called for legal and humanitarian aid for those seeking protection in Europe, but this call is too often ignored.

Additionally, people on the move face violence at this border. In mid-June 2024, a 35-year-old Iranian woman was reportedly shot in the eye when she was near the border fence. She was hospitalised and is currently in the closed detention centre for foreigners. The woman stated that ‘suddenly, without any warning, a shot was fired’ and said that the shot came from the Polish side, from one of the two uniformed Polish personnel guarding the border. However, judging by the wound, it seems that a private weapon was used, not one issued to border personnel. Nearly one month after the incident, there is still no official information from the authorities on what happened that day and who shot at the Iranian woman. This incident is part of an escalation of violence at the Polish border. Our staff say they have supported people in the forest who have been subjected to beatings, threats, teargas, and theft of their documents, phones and money.

In July, a controversial law was passed in the Polish parliament that exempts the services from liability for improper use of weapons. According to the law, the use of weapons by a soldier, border guard or police officer, even in the case of a violation of the rules on the use of direct coercive measures, will not be a crime. We are concerned that the law may have a direct impact on the behaviour of services on the Polish-Belarusian border. Permitting the use of live ammunition with impunity is first and foremost a huge threat to people on the move along the border. There is a further danger for humanitarian staff and volunteers, as this law means that there is virtually no criminal liability for state officials who use firearms to wound anyone – including humanitarian workers.

Poland’s ‘no-go zone’ and the blocking of humanitarian assistance

In early June, a Polish soldier tragically died following a violent incident with an individual crossing the border. This sparked a harsh crackdown by the government at the border, which was already extremely dangerous for those on the move.

On 13 June, a ‘no-go zone’ was reintroduced spanning approximately 200 metres from the border, with some areas extending further into Polish territory. Civilians and humanitarians are now prohibited from entering the zone, which is controlled by border forces. In this border zone, pushbacks have been reported. Cut off from humanitarian assistance, people stuck there have scarce access to water, food, medical assistance or legal support. An activist from Grupa Granica has mapped out the zone, highlighting differences between the government’s initial proposal and the zone in its final state (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Map of the exclusion zone along the Polish border. Source: Grupa Granica activist Jakub Sypiański, based on the published regulation. The blue is the initial proposal of the zone, and the red is the final zone that was introduced.

Egala Association (where I work as an Advocacy Coordinator), along with other humanitarian groups, has requested access to the ‘no-go zone’ to deliver essential humanitarian aid. However, our requests are rejected by impractical demands for specific details, locations and schedules, when it is impossible to predict where and when help is needed, given the instability at the border and because migrants often change locations as they attempt to cross the border. Also, disclosing the precise locations of people on the move could endanger their safety as they would face the threat of violent pushbacks by authorities. Without legal access, organisations like ours now face an impossible choice: whether to respond to requests for help, knowing that our staff and volunteers may face criminalisation as a result.

The rise in anti-immigrant narratives in Poland

This crackdown is couched in a hostile context, as the Polish media and government officials increasingly frame migrants as a threat to national security, referring to them as instruments in a ‘hybrid war’ orchestrated by Belarus. This rhetoric intensified following the death of the Polish soldier in June. Several statements from top politicians such as Prime Minister Donald Tusk have emboldened security forces to use extreme measures, including the use of weapons, against migrants.

Communications by the authorities to local residents also fuel fear and tensions. Any phone entering the border region receives a text message from the authorities, but it is different depending on whether the phone number is local or international: for Polish numbers it tells people to avoid the border area and report ‘suspicious individuals’, but for international numbers, targeting people on the move who will not usually have a Polish SIM card, the message and tone is very different.

Figure 2: Text messages to (left) Polish mobiles and (right) international mobiles entering the border zone. Translation of Polish: ‘Attention! Ban on staying in the buffer zone adjacent to the border with Belarus. Follow the orders of the services. Be vigilant and report suspicious people.’

The rise in anti-immigration rhetoric has created a hostile environment and tensions between local residents, migrants and civil society organisations operating in the area. Sometimes armed paramilitary groups are active at the border, posing additional risks to people on the move and organisations like ours. These private groups conduct armed night patrols and post pictures of migrants on social media. They also use physical force, such as handcuffing migrants, before calling border guards.

The situation of people on the move worsens, as humanitarians’ work becomes harder

Many vulnerable migrants, including women and unaccompanied minors, now face inhumane conditions, with many ending up in hospital. All local organisations state that the restricted zone perpetuates the vulnerability of migrants. Additionally, according to We Are Monitoring (WAM), from 29 April to 26 May, 382 people applied for protection during 322 interventions, the highest number recorded so far. This shows that the number of people who cross this border is rising, despite further fortification at the Polish border.

Organisations trying to support people in need of humanitarian assistance are facing increasing difficulties in their operations. WAM has had its phone lines blocked and is constantly receiving phone calls from right-wing trolls, death threats via its social media accounts, and false phone calls/reports pretending to be from migrants, which disrupt its work.

What needs to change?

In order to provide the lifesaving assistance needed for those crossing the border, we and other humanitarian organisations need access to the ‘no-go zone’. We call on international organisations and European governments to put pressure on the Polish government to allow us in. A joint international effort is required to secure these permissions and address the needs of vulnerable groups, such as children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities. We also calling on international NGOs (INGOs) not to remain silent, to use their power, credibility and privileged position to speak up on behalf of those in the forest.

The pushbacks and violence towards those trying to seek asylum in Europe must stop now. Such actions are against international humanitarian and human rights laws. We call on the general public, media and other member states to stand against these practices and for the government to put an end to these practices, without exception.

Finally, it is crucial to stop the detention of children and improve access to medical and psychological support for all migrants who need it and particularly vulnerable groups. The experiences people face when crossing the border are having a serious impact on mental health. The Polish Migration Forum has highlighted the lack of psychological help for migrants, emphasising the need for improved support in detention centres (in particular, closed centres). International organisations must step up and ensure support to deliver these services. The Polish government must stop the arbitrary detention of those on the move and provide access to independent organisations who can help them.

This blog has been adapted from an article previously published on Oxfam.

Dominika Ożyńska is the Advocacy Coordinator at Egala, which is part of the Grupa Granica network of organisations which provide support and assistance to migrants stuck in the Polish forest. Since September 2023, Oxfam has supported Egala to provide humanitarian assistance to those crossing into Poland from Belarus.