Since the summer of 2021, when a hybrid push at the Belarusian-Polish border began, the action was orchestrated by Lukashenko’s services with support from migrants from around the world. The opposition circles and allied non-governmental organizations, along with media figures backing them, moved to intervene in the unfolding events.
An assault on border security
There were attempts to deliver what was labeled as humanitarian aid to migrants on the Belarusian side. When the Polish Border Guard refused, some officers faced aggressive scrutiny. Names, addresses, and other identifying details appeared on social media with the aim of harassing their families.
This effort involved parliamentarians and senators, and even some members of the European Parliament from opposition factions such as Platforma, the Left, and the Hołownia movement. They sought to wield their mandates for actions that were illegal and harmful to Poland and to its national interests.
As autumn and winter arrived in 2021, rhetoric intensified. Debates swelled around missing children whose parents were allegedly returned to Belarus by the Border Guard, accounts of migrants crossing rivers by night, fears about shoreline landings, and even claims of forest burials supposedly organized by Polish forest rangers.
False narratives from opposition MPs
The parliamentary podium was used to spread dramatic stories crafted to influence public opinion. These narratives often concluded with claims about the deaths or disappearances of migrants, and placed responsibility on the border guards, later also on the soldiers and police deployed near the contested area, describing thousands of migrants along the border.
Accounts ranged from the tale of the “children from Michałów,” who allegedly moved to Poland only to be pushed back toward Belarus, to the story of Ibrahim who, it was said, was forced into a river near the border guard and swam for six days, surfacing only at night. There was also a narrative about a four-year-old girl named Eileen, separated from her parents and wandering at night in the Białowieża Forest for several days.
Unmasking the lies
Recent reporting by Gazeta Wyborcza, through the work of Małgorzata Tomczak, acknowledged that the sensational images of months of border crises crafted by left-liberal media did not reflect reality. The journalist notes that the young girl named Eileen, who was said to have died in the forest, did not exist. Yet this story was repeatedly cited in December 2021 from the parliamentary gallery by MP Gramatyka of the Hołownia movement, with involvement from various non-governmental organizations and even the Ombudsman in the search.
In addition, the false narratives were employed during the election campaign. MP Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, representing the left, discussed the deaths of children at the border during televised debates, intensifying public concern.
A cynical game and the damage to Poland and its people
The film The Green Border, directed by Agnieszka Holland, focused on these and similar stories. While it did not attract large crowds at home, it resonated abroad and left a lasting impression of Poland. Opposition figures such as Róża Thun and Janina Ochojska organized exhibitions in the European Parliament, portraying Polish uniformed services as acting in violation of national and European law, a narrative that drew condemnation from some quarters.
These actions by opposition politicians, several non-governmental organizations, public figures, and associated media created a significant dent in Poland’s international image. This occurred at a time when millions of war refugees from Ukraine were welcomed into Polish homes. Over time, it became clear that many widely reported border stories were not true, provoking strong emotions against the ruling party.
There is little doubt that the emotional charge surrounding the issue was leveraged during the election campaign and may have affected electoral outcomes for the governing party.
However, neither opposition politicians, nor journalists, nor members of non-governmental organizations who participated in what many viewed as a concerted hoax admitted any fault. The campaign has concluded, and it is now possible to observe that the well-known border stories were largely invented and amplified.