Scores of migrants cross into Poland through tunnel hidden in Belarus forest
A 69-year-old Pole and a 49-year-old Lithuanian were arrested picking up migrants. Poland Border Guard
WARSAW, POLAND — More than 180 migrants crossed into Poland through a tunnel hidden in a forest along the Belarusian border, authorities said Friday.
Polish border guards said around 130 of the migrants were detained after the passage was discovered Thursday, while the remainder were still at large.
Video released by the Polish Border Guard showed a narrow tunnel dug through roots and bare earth, reinforced with wooden posts and metal rods, standing just 5 feet high — requiring most people to crouch while passing through. Poland, a European Union member, has faced a migrant crisis along its border with Belarus since 2021.
Polish officials have accused Belarus and its ally Russia of attempting to destabilize Poland by encouraging people, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, to cross illegally. Both Minsk and Moscow have repeatedly denied these claims.
The border guard said this was the fourth tunnel discovered this year in the western region of Podlaskie. Authorities also detained a 69-year-old Polish man and a 49-year-old Lithuanian who had arrived to meet the migrants.
“The hidden entrance in the forest was located about 50 meters from the border fence on the Belarusian side, while the exit was roughly 10 meters from the barrier on the Polish side,” the Border Guard said. Officials used electronic monitoring systems to track how many people passed through, and the army and police joined the search for the remaining migrants.
Poland began construction of a 180-kilometer (110-mile) border fence in 2022.
About Post Author
