Photos courtesy of Grupa Granica
For several years now, Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has encouraged people from war-torn and poverty-stricken countries to come to Belarus and then illegally cross the border into Poland. The subsequent increase in migration has caused alarm and political upheaval within Polish society. That’s a victory for Lukashenko, who wants to create headaches for his adversaries in Poland.
This kind of manipulation of human lives, of course, exacerbates the misery of these individuals. That’s why Humanity Now has been offering support to the Polish aid organization Grupa Granica (or, “Border Group”), which works along the border to try to alleviate suffering.
Earlier this year, Humanity Now traveled to this region to see the situation firsthand. It’s a swampy, dense primeval forest, difficult to cross, even for experienced hikers. For migrants and refugees, many of whom are in poor health, the forest can be treacherous and even deadly. To make matters worse, when Polish border guards find people crossing, they often illegally force them back to Belarus instead of allowing them to apply for asylum. Then, if Belarusian border guards find them on their territory, they’re likely to force them back to Poland. Grupa Granica reports instances when individuals have been pushed back and forth numerous times.
Grupa Granica sends rescue teams into the forest to offer aid and, when needed, save lives. The organization reports seeing dehydration, hypothermia, injuries to arms and legs, and even death. A few weeks ago, in fact, an emergency team offered first aid to an Ethiopian woman who had been pushed between the countries five times. According to the aid team’s field notes, “She spent a total of six months in the forest, on both the Belarusian and Polish sides.”
In a situation as challenging and disturbing as this one, Grupa Granica is doing something extraordinarily valuable. In addition to providing aid, they also collect evidence of illegal pushbacks in order to advocate for change. When we look at the team’s photos, which illustrate this newsletter, we’re moved by the scope of misery, and also by the extraordinary dedication of these humanitarians willing to hike out into the wilderness to help.
