"There is simply a war going on, all day, all hour," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk about the Polish-Belarusian border on the 35th anniversary of the first partially free elections, on 4 June 2024 at Castle Square in Warsaw. 2 days later, a soldier died, stabbed by barrier rods from the Belarusian side.
For many commentators, it proves that the war is happening. There are thunderous (or possibly pogromous) shouts about the honor of the uniform and the necessity to shoot migrants. Politicians are flexing against the military and threatening the Military Police, which conducts proceedings against soldiers firing against the barrier towards Belarus. After all, if there is simply a war, if “our boys” are killed, then it is possible to shoot.
Sometimes horse and sometimes knife
Across the border The civilians are coming. Yes, there are attempts by the Belarusian services to force the border, but migrants are primarily civilians from countries governed by dictators or in armed conflicts. Sometimes they escape force and death, sometimes they look for a place to live better, work, education. Most of them come from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Sudan.
The locals are not afraid of them, and the way has been open for 3 years. What they fear is the actions of the service, the non-compliance with velocity limits in built-up areas, masked faces, unmarked uniforms, covered registration numbers for military cars. They are threatened by the sight of helpless people driven into the forest before being pushed into Belarus. As a consequence of the actions of the Polish government on the border, we are faced with an expanding humanitarian crisis.
Donald Tusk's government, just like the erstwhile 1 – Mateusz Morawiecki – tries to rise political capital in the crisis. Speaking of war, he is most likely counting on the "flag effect" – in a situation of danger, people focus around the rulers, look through their fingers at shortcomings, mobilize and automatically limit aspirations, preparing for heavier times. A society with arousing aspirations is, as we know, just a problem for politicians.
Therefore Migration force on the border caused by Belarusian dictator Lukashenko in 2021 was at the hand of the ruling during the times of the Law and Justice, and everything indicates that it is comfortable and now, in 2024, erstwhile the Democrats came to power.
There were ministers, Mariusz Wąsik and Mariusz Kamiński, who had just become Euro MPs 3 years ago – erstwhile Lukashenko started selling visas and convincing migrants that it was adequate to go through the forest to find themselves in Germany – they held a conference, during which they showed clips of zoophilia, pedophilia and decapitation of the victims, and collectively accused of these migrant acts. The prosecution was to justify the unlawful and cruel actions of the services.
The word "illegal migrants", someway describing their peculiar position as outlaws, entered the general circulation. Come on. crossing the border In an illegal place, it is only a violation, the government of the Law and Justice Department has legalized pushbacks which exposure people to diseases, torture and rapes committed by Belarusian officers. force on the Polish side is also: beating and spraying gas, kicking, pulling out unconscious people, not giving help, destroying property, papers and telephones. A barrel full of burnt papers and calls belonging to migrants was found outside the border police station in Dubiche.
For many months, the belt covering many border towns was covered by the state of emergency, meaning a ban on humanitarian organizations, journalists and anyone another than residents of these areas and services. Not even the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe Dunji Mijatović was allowed. Sixty people have died on the border only on the Polish side, and more than 300 have disappeared. For nearly 2 billion zlotys there was besides a barrier that was to yet close the migration trail.
Of course he didn't. As usual, there are more people in the summertime who are willing to undertake migration, and the rulers have returned to the thought of a “exceptional state zone” in which the military is to deal with migrants without the force of sight of journalists and humanitarian aid activists. The argument for restoring the wife is the knife that was stabbed by a young soldier standing right by the fence.
And since the old dam does not work, in areas covered with forests and well-baked is to be created (for another PLN 10 billion) east Shields – a fortification strategy containing concrete anti-tank hedgehogs, minefields and station systems, shelters and military buildings built by circumstantial companies. Interference is expected to go 50 km into the country. For the people of this region, this means disaster. The fortification belt will destruct nature and local businesses based on agritourism. The sub-zones of unique nature, are vast fields, forests, rivers, swamps, it Bialowieza Forest, UNESCO planet Heritage Site.
‘Zona’ built on fears
The restoration of the zone, which was a symbol of lawlessness in the times of the Law and Justice, does not even argue Deputy Minister for Migration Maciej Duszczyk. During the regulation of the Law and Justice, he was a investigator in migration policy, convinced that migration routes needed close at firstNot at the end. So not a wall, but force on countries selling visas. Now I'm postulating something. exactly inverse, i.e. the escalation of border activities and the "no force from lobbyists". It is worth asking who he sees in the function of lobbyists, due to the fact that lobby manufacturers of elements Eastern Shields must wipe hands, unlike human rights organisations and Nature conservation.
The inhabitants of these areas are asking why the shield is to be built at their place, erstwhile it would be more useful around the Suwałki gulf located in the north of the country – where the Russian border is respective twelve kilometres away, and on the another side are to station rocket launchers with atomic warheads; where the area does not defend as in the area of the Białowieża Forest. But nobody asks them.
The password of the Shield East came erstwhile he fled to Belarus – having revealed himself as an agent – erstwhile justice Tomasz Szmydt. The fear of Russia and Belarus and the services of these countries, recalled by this incident, has led to a general consensus on the shield.
It is to be built for 4 full years. We have not heard arguments another than the general fear of Russia – why now, why here? On arguments against the construction of the task enthusiasts respond with blackmail: see what nature protection in Ukraine looks like. And how do they know that in 4 years' time this is where Belarusian or Russian tanks are expected to go? Is there any satellite data saying hostile troops are gathering at the border?
Nope. This is expected to imply that the shield is actually to be directed at migration. It is to be part of the construction of a “fortress of Europe”.
Can you shoot entrepreneurs?
We are waiting for an investigation to explain what the soldier was doing so close to the fence, who the bomber was, what were the circumstances of the attack on the soldier and as a consequence of his death. But political decisions have already been made. The region is coming back. The consultation that any of the law-human organizations were invited to have proved superficial. Organisations protest. There is most likely going to be opposition to journalism, due to the fact that the ban on journalists makes it fair to have reliable information, control and social criticism.
At the same time, for civilians surviving and working in the forest, the region means an increased threat, due to the fact that Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented a draft speciality at the conference on June 10, according to which a soldier will not commit a crime, even if he violates the applicable procedures. So if he uses a firearm, he'll be excused. released from responsibility.
Criminals point out that the rules allowing soldiers to usage weapons to support border guards already be and are adequate to defend themselves. The creation of the a priori peculiar a priori acquittal of soldiers, while continuing the illegal pushback procedure, is worrying due to the fact that it signals to the services that they are above the law, while migrants are out of the law.
Shooting Migrants like Poles. 85.7 percent of respondents answered the question of "yes" and 10.7% opposed.
Will soldiers effort to separate between those who are in fact threatening safety and those who are themselves in danger? Experience so far has shown that no.
Migration is, has been and will be. Her researchers emphasize that besides fewer people are taking her. It is done by the most determined, brave, entrepreneurial, those who hope, mostly young. The others are scared. They don't want to leave known angles, even if it's not safe anymore. They fear that they will encounter hostility, force along the way – and this frequently happens. Most are men due to the fact that women are exposed not only to beatings but besides to rapes. They go due to the fact that they want to work, live, aid the loved ones who are left.
Listen to the east Block podcast:
In a word, entrepreneurs. They can change not only their fate, but besides indirectly, thanks to their work and sent to close assistance, improve the situation in the countries of origin. They described this mechanics of economists, specified as Abhijit Banerje and Esther Duflo in the book Good Economics. We all know the slogan about helping on the spot, so why shoot those who can make it real? Who do not want to ask for grace, request a regulation of law and work? It is known that nothing weakens tyrants as stronger societies, and the actions of these entrepreneurs service this purpose.
Until another region of lawlessness has been created, the crime zone, let us think: is it better to invest in Polish science, cultural assistants, workplaces?
