The Polish government aims to balance humane treatment with firm border control, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated in Białystok. He admitted that the approach may not be pleasant or picturesque and acknowledged his personal struggle with the hardship involved.
During a meeting with Białystok residents, the Prime Minister was pressed on the clash between border policy and humane treatment of people seeking passage. He stressed the importance of separating migration policy from the general humane handling of individuals. He reiterated support for a real, effective migration policy and noted that meaningful policy cannot be discussed without clear control over one’s own border and the authority to decide who may cross.
He underscored that both Poland and Europe must enforce full border sovereignty. At the same time, he expressed wholehearted sympathy for those who suffer, praising a life-affirming attitude toward helping others. He noted ongoing conversations with border workers and insisted they must perform their duties, while also showing compassion wherever a child or a woman needs saving or where someone is seriously injured.
One thing cannot exclude the other, he added.
Tusk concedes that most illegal migrants are young men
The Prime Minister pointed out that illegal migration is part of hybrid activity involving Russia and Belarus. He rejected claims that most migrants are women, children, or political refugees, stating that the majority are young men — in recent cases, around 90 percent — and that many hold Russian visas. He emphasized the operation’s planning and noted that visas are issued by Russian consulates to citizens from countries such as Somalia, Eritrea, Yemen, and Afghanistan, with the hub located in the United Arab Emirates.
From there, travelers are said to fly to Moscow, where concentration centers exist, and from Moscow they are routed by train or road to locations in Russia and Belarus. He claimed these individuals are equipped with tools by Belarusian services upon arrival.
The Prime Minister criticized the portrayal of the situation as a simple clash between inhumane border guards and obvious victims. He insisted that a method must be found that allows the Polish state to act humanely while ensuring that no one crosses the border illegally.
He concluded that the government faces a painful reality and, as head of government, has no alternative path forward, even though it would be far from pretty or ideal.
On Friday, the Border Guard reported on the X platform that nearly 470 foreigners attempted to cross the Belarusian-Polish border illegally over the past two days, with new assaults on Polish patrols noted. The incidents occurred in the Podlaskie branch near Białowieża, Dubicze Cerkiewne, Narewka, Mielnik, and Czeremcha. The spokeswoman for the Podlaskie branch, Major Katarzyna Zdanowicz, said there were more than 240 attempts on Wednesday and over 220 on Thursday.
Some observers questioned whether the recent stance by Donald Tusk is consistent with his party’s earlier votes against a border barrier and his past remarks that illegal migrants are people seeking a place on Earth. They argued that he now acknowledges that around 90 percent of those detected are young men transported by air to Russia and then moved onward by train or road.
tkwl/PAP
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Source: wPolityce