The Lengthy Border Between Poland And Belarus

The border between Poland and Belarus is approximately 418 kilometres long, stretching from the tripoint formed with the Belarus-Ukraine and Poland-Ukraine borders in the south to the intersection of the borders of Lithuania, Poland and Belarus in the north. The border is heavily monitored as an external EU/Schengen border and has been fortified with a border wall and electronic barrier to prevent illegal immigration.

The border is 418km long

The border between Poland and Belarus is 418km long. It begins in the south at the tripoint formed with the Belarus-Ukraine and Poland-Ukraine borders. The river Bug forms the first third of the border, which is similar to the Curzon Line. The border ends in the north, with the intersection of the borders of Lithuania, Poland and Belarus, and also marks the eastern boundary of the European Union.

The border runs along the administrative borders of two voivodships in Poland—Podlaskie and Lubelskie—and two voblasts in Belarus—Grodno and Brest. On the Polish side, the 246.93km section is under the protection of the Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit, while the 171.31km section is in the operation area of the Bug Border Guard Regional Unit.

The border between Poland and Belarus has a total of 13 border crossing points: seven by road, five by rail, and one river crossing.

In January 2022, Poland began building a 5.5-metre-high steel border wall to prevent illegal immigration from Belarus. The barrier was completed in June 2022. An electronic barrier of 206km in length, mounting 3,000 cameras with night vision and movement sensors, was added to the fence between November 2022 and early summer 2023.

It runs along the Bug River

The Bug River is a key feature of the Poland-Belarus border, forming the first third of the boundary between the two countries. The border begins in the south at the tripoint formed with the Belarus-Ukraine and Poland-Ukraine borders. The Bug River section of the border is similar to the Curzon Line, which was established after the First World War and resembled the post-Second World War border between Poland and the USSR.

The Bug River is one of several border rivers that run from north to south, including the Czarna Hańcza, Wołkuszanka, Świsłocz, and Narew. The Bug River section of the border falls under the operation area of the Bug Border Guard Regional Unit. The Bug Border Guard Regional Unit is responsible for protecting and monitoring a 171.31 km (106.45 mi) section of the Poland-Belarus border.

The Bug River is also significant in the context of cross-border cooperation between Poland and Belarus. The "Bug" Euroregion, created in 1995, brings together the towns of Brest in Belarus, Lublin in Poland, and Lutsk in Ukraine. This Euroregion has a dedicated micro-project fund that has been instrumental in fostering cooperation and development in the region.

The Bug River has played a crucial role in shaping the border dynamics and cross-border relations between Poland and Belarus, serving as a natural boundary and a catalyst for regional collaboration.

It's monitored as an external EU/Schengen border

The border between Poland and Belarus is monitored as an external EU/Schengen border. The Schengen Area is a group of 29 European countries that have abolished their internal borders to allow the free and unrestricted movement of people. The Schengen Area operates as a single state for international travel purposes, with external border controls for travellers entering and exiting the area, and common visas.

The border between Poland and Belarus is monitored as an external EU/Schengen border because Poland is a member of the EU and the Schengen Area, while Belarus is not. Poland joined the Schengen Area in 2007, and the border with Belarus became an external EU border in 2004. The border is approximately 400km long, and it is monitored by the Polish Border Guard, with sections under the protection of the Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit and the Bug Border Guard Regional Unit.

As an external EU/Schengen border, the Poland-Belarus border is subject to strict checks on travellers entering and exiting. These checks are coordinated by the European Union's Frontex agency and are subject to common rules detailed in the Schengen Borders Code. Travellers entering and exiting must pass through border controls, where their identity and entitlement to travel are checked by border guards. The Schengen Borders Code requires participating states to remove all obstacles to free traffic flow at internal borders, so road, rail, and air passengers no longer have their identity checked by border guards when travelling between Schengen countries. However, security checks by carriers are still permitted.

The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985, proposed measures to gradually abolish border checks at the signatories' common borders. This included reduced-speed vehicle checks, allowing residents in border areas freedom to cross borders away from fixed checkpoints, and the harmonisation of visa policies. In 1990, the Agreement was supplemented by the Schengen Convention, which proposed the complete abolition of systematic internal border controls and a common visa policy. The Schengen Area was established separately from the European Communities, as consensus could not be reached among all EC member states. However, in 1999, the Schengen Agreement and Convention were incorporated into European Union law by the Amsterdam Treaty.

As a non-EU country, Belarus's inclusion in the Schengen Area is through a special association agreement. Several other non-EU countries are also included in the Schengen Area through similar agreements, including Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. These countries are considered associate members of the Schengen Area and implement the Schengen acquis through specific agreements related to the Schengen agreement.

Poland built a 5.5m-high steel wall to prevent illegal immigration

The border between Poland and Belarus is approximately 418km long. In January 2022, Poland began constructing a 5.5-metre-high steel wall along this border to prevent illegal immigration. The wall was built in response to the Belarus-European Union border crisis, which saw tens of thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, attempt to enter Poland from Belarus. The crisis was orchestrated by the Lukashenko regime in retaliation for sanctions imposed on him and his regime.

The Polish government's decision to build the wall was met with criticism from some media outlets, journalists, and celebrities, who accused them of preventing the entry of irregular asylum seekers. However, during and after the intense phase of the border crisis, Poland did not close its border crossings with Belarus and continued to grant asylum.

The construction of the wall, which cost around 1.6 billion zł (US$407 million), was completed on June 30, 2022. An electronic barrier, mounting 3,000 cameras with night vision and movement sensors, was added to the fence between November 2022 and early summer 2023, at an additional cost of EUR 71.8 million.

The number of migrants attempting to cross the border has declined by nearly two-thirds since the wall was built. While this has successfully deterred migrants from entering Poland, it has also resulted in the separation of populations of large mammals like lynx or European bisons.

In October 2023, Poland held a referendum on the removal of the barrier, with 96.04% of participants voting against it. However, the referendum was not binding, as it did not reach the required threshold of 50% of the electorate, with only a 40.91% turnout.

The border has not been modified since 1945

The border between Poland and Belarus has not been modified since 1945, but the history of its creation is complex and tumultuous.

The border between Poland and Belarus was established in 1945 following the end of World War II. The Yalta Conference, which took place during the war, established the border between Poland and the USSR, which closely resembled the Curzon Line proposed in 1919-1920. The Curzon Line was a proposed border between Poland and its neighbours to the east, which roughly followed the ethnic border between Poles and other Eastern European ethnic groups.

The Curzon Line was ignored by Poland after the Polish-Soviet War, and a new border was recognised by the Treaty of Riga, which placed the border almost 250km east of the Curzon Line. This border was recognised by the League of Nations in 1923 and confirmed by numerous Polish-Soviet treaties.

However, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 provided for the partition of the Second Polish Republic between the USSR and Nazi Germany, resulting in a new border being drawn up. Following the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, the northern half of eastern Poland was annexed into the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic as Western Belorussia, and five new Voblasts were created.

During World War II, the territory in question was re-partitioned by the Nazis, with Ukraine and Belarus being administered by the occupation Ostland and Reichskommissariat Ukraine Reichskommissariats. After the Soviet Union's liberation of Ukraine and Belarus in 1943-1944, the Tehran and Yalta conferences discussed the future of the Polish-Soviet borders, and the Allied leaders recognised the Soviet right to the territory east of the 1939 border.

In August 1945, the Border Agreement between Poland and the USSR was signed, officially establishing the border between the two countries. This agreement resulted in the restoration of several districts to Poland, including the city of Białystok, and the exchange of territories between the two countries. The agreement entered into force on February 5, 1946, and the border between Poland and Belarus has not been modified since.

Frequently asked questions