Since June 2021, thousands of people – mainly from Iraq, but also from Syria, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and several other countries – have been trying to reach the European Union (EU) via Belarus. They are trying to cross from Belarus to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Political leaders from Poland and Lithuania, as well as EU member states and institutions, are accusing the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of attempting to destabilise the EU by facilitating migrants and asylum seekers to cross into the EU. In response, the EU countries have built fences, significantly increased border patrols and declared a state of emergency along the border areas. The implementation of a state of emergency has been accompanied by a heavy militarisation of the border zones and a restriction on all access, including humanitarian access.

There have been numerous instances of Polish border guards forcibly returning migrants and refugees to Belarus, in disregard of their intentions to request international protection and in breach of their rights. Fear of such ‘pushbacks’ and violence at the hands of border guards has led women, men and children to try and make their way through the area without being detected, hiding in the forests in extreme winter temperatures without food, water, shelter or warm clothes.

The situation escalated in November 2021 when several thousand people arrived at the border with Poland, allegedly facilitated by the Belarusian forces. The Polish Government sent 15,000 military to the border to prevent any unsanctioned entry into Poland. With the increased militarisation of the border, the number of people seeking assistance in the forest in Poland has decreased markedly.

Since October 2021, MSF has repeatedly requested, including at high level, access to the restricted areas and the border guard posts in Poland, but without success. The MSF team provided some basic medical care and humanitarian assistance to a limited number of people who had crossed the border and made their way beyond the restricted zone. MSF has also supported local NGOs, individuals and groups who had been providing humanitarian aid to people crossing into Poland. The team assessed two of the formal detention centres in Poland.

As the number of people reaching out for assistance has significantly decreased since November, and since MSF could not reach the people on the move inside the restricted areas nor in the border post locations in Poland, the organisation has decided to withdraw its emergency team and stop pursuing activities along the border area in Poland.