Poland to Invest $375M in Border Fence Amid Migrant Crisis

Poland is set to invest about $375 million in fortifying its border fence with Belarus, announced Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk.

He emphasized that the current fence lacks efficacy in deterring undocumented migrants, noting that Polish border guards often redirect migrants intercepted at the border back into Belarus.

Tomczyk disclosed that the upgrade, developed in collaboration with the Silesian University of Technology and Polish engineers, aims to render the fence impassable.

The modernization of the barrier itself is estimated to cost around 1.5 billion zlotys, he informed reporters on Sunday.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously expressed the hope of securing European Union funding for these enhancements, framing it as an investment in European security.

In mid-2021, tens of thousands of migrants amassed at the Belarus-Poland border, as well as neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, seeking entry into the European Union.

Polish authorities responded by tightening border controls, deploying troops, and accusing Belarus of orchestrating the migrant crisis.

However, Minsk denied these allegations, asserting that Warsaw was exploiting the migrant crisis narrative to forcefully push migrants into Belarusian territory.