Stuck between Poland and Belarus, where push-backs are increasing at the border, they are said to be thousands of refugees wandering in the forests at the gates of the European Union. With the mercury falling dangerously, NGOs fear the worst on the ground, while a humanitarian tragedy is already looming.
If it weren’t for the darkness, border guards would have spotted his hiding place a long time ago. On the poorly lit little road leading to Hajnówka, in the far east of Poland, a comings and goings of military convoys and police vans illuminate the edge of the forest. With each flash of a lighthouse, the same anguish: will it be flushed out this time? It is in the woods, about fifty meters from the roadway, that Abdul is lying on the damp ground, on this chilly October evening.
Weakened, this 18-year-old Afghan whose real name we withhold for security reasons has been wandering in the forest on the borders of Europe, not far from Belarus, for three days. Three days feeding on dead leaves and stagnant water. “There were twelve of us from across the border, on the Belarusian side. The others were detained by Polish border guards, but I managed to get into the forest, running, ”says Abdul, his voice trembling. In the middle of this tide of conifers, with a dead phone battery, the young man quickly finds himself lost. “I paid 3,000 US dollars for the smuggler to take me to Germany, but he dropped me off in the forest on the Polish border, leaving me to continue on my own, on foot. “
It was by crossing the “migratory route” on the Polish-Belarusian border, orchestrated since this summer by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, that Abdul joined neighboring Poland. He is far from the only one. Most of them from the Middle East or Africa, they are thousands of candidates for exile to fly to Belarus, tourist visa in their pocket. From there, they intend to reach Western Europe in search of a better tomorrow. But many ignore the peril that awaits them. Because once on Belarusian soil, under the auspices of the regime, they are led in the direction of the dense border forest, before being often forced to cross it. This is where the ordeal begins: they are caught in a stranglehold by the implacable push-back machine of the Polish border guards and the Belarusian authorities, who prevent any backtracking.
Makeshift encampment
On Monday, the crisis took on unprecedented proportions. Guided by the Belarusian authorities, more than 3,000 people, mostly Kurds, have established an impressive makeshift camp opposite the Polish border, guarded by a large military force. Enough to fear an armed escalation between Minsk and the conservative Polish national government.
Accused of leading a “hybrid war” by using migratory pressure at the gates of the EU, the “last dictatorship in Europe” would seek revenge for the sanctions imposed by Brussels in the wake of the hijacking by Minsk of the plane in which an opponent was traveling on May 23. In October alone, Polish authorities recorded nearly 17,000 attempted entry from Belarus.
“These people are not fleeing war, but are seeking to improve their standard of living. Lukashenko must stop inviting migrants and making them believe that in this way they will easily reach Germany, ”thunders AnnaMichalska, spokesperson for Straż Graniczna (Polish border guards), in his office in Warsaw. “When they are told that seeking asylum in Poland means staying there for a minimum of six months and that they may end up being sent back to their country of origin, most migrants abandon the procedure! “
Still, at the heart of this major geopolitical conflict, it is human lives that find themselves trapped. Starting with that of Abdul who, leaving Afghanistan in June, would never have imagined finding himself in such a dead end. There, in his native Kabul, his relatives back home “live in hiding in fear of the Taliban”. “My father worked for the US military for six years,” he says.
Suddenly, not far away, we hear branches breaking. Footsteps approach Abdul. Having geolocated him, three volunteers from the Ocalenie Foundation come to assist him. Extra battery, food, sleeping bag: we bring him the necessary for the night he is about to spend outside. But their help cannot go further, since transporting him by car would risk getting them convicted of trafficking. The next day, Abdul resigns himself: by his own means, he will succeed in joining relatives in German territory, escaping the vigilance of the police.
Few of the stories like hers have such an ending. “In a normal country, Abdul would have every chance of obtaining asylum, but in today’s Poland, it should not be counted on …” regrets an activist on the spot. When intercepted by Polish border guards, most are returned to the no man’s land forest between Poland and Belarus, despite the willingness of some to seek international protection in Poland.
Contrary to international conventions, such violations of the right to asylum were nevertheless legalized by the Polish Parliament in mid-October. “Leaving these people in the forest ignoring their asylum request is as if we were legalizing torture,” laments Iwo Los, an activist within Grupa Granica (Frontier Group), a network of aid organizations. refugees. “Some are hypothermic, starving, dehydrated; the state must recognize that we are dealing with a humanitarian crisis for NGO aid to be channeled. “
15,000 soldiers
Impossible, however, to determine the extent of the drama that is playing out. Along the border stretching nearly 400 kilometers, Warsaw has established a state of emergency, prohibiting access to NGOs and the press. No less than 15,000 Polish soldiers have been deployed at the border, not to mention the thousands of border guards patrolling the area. Incessant concerts of flashing lights now disturb the peace of the villages of the region. Suffice to say that the atmosphere has become martial in rural Podlasie, for two months. Both inside and outside the forbidden zone, which is surrounded by police checkpoints.
On the small winding roads, it has become common to see soggy shoes or clothes left by migrants. At least 10 deaths are to be deplored and, with winter approaching, NGOs fear the slaughter. “Recently, we recorded a group of refugees who said that if they ended up being turned away again, they would kill themselves because they were at their wit’s end,” continues Iwo Los. The border guards were there, and took them to a road leading into the forest. “
This helplessness, Maciej, 33, and the dark circles under his eyes, feels it more than ever. “It’s a cruel ping-pong game, some are turned back for the tenth time on both sides of the border,” laments the activist. Here he is trying to block a police vehicle detaining three Iraqis, on this gloomy afternoon, not far from Hajnówka. The objective: to prevent their probable refoulement at the border, “even if they said they wanted asylum in Poland!” ” In vain. The latter will also take the path to the forest.
“On the Belarusian side, it’s a real nightmare: I saw people arriving in terrible conditions, with injuries caused by dog bites or by the Belarusian military. They have to drink the water of the swamps to survive, they get sick from it. For fear of attracting the attention of Polish border guards and being sent back to Belarus, some people refuse to let us call for help, despite their sorry state of health. “
In Michałowo, the urgency to act is also felt. In this village located about twenty kilometers from the border, the fire station is the emblem: the city council unanimously voted for the establishment of an aid center for refugees. “We were surprised, and even overwhelmed, by the extent of the help people here provide, bringing warm clothes and food. But we are not doing anything special, we are talking about helping human beings! »Says Deputy Mayor Konrad Sikora. “Instead of spending all this money on building a wall, it is imperative to set up refugee camps. Temperatures are already below zero, and I wouldn’t be surprised if bodies were found in nearby corn fields anytime soon. “
About twenty minutes away, the village of Szymki is no stranger to the outbursts of solidarity. With volunteer firefighters as well as the local population. Jakub, a local, remembers a “22-year-old mother with her infant who was able to drink cow’s milk” a few weeks ago. “They haven’t done anything wrong here, it’s a shame that these people are caught in this cold. And it’s not like the beast is going to stop producing milk. “