Belarus' other border crisis
Each week, humanitarian aid workers for the Polish non-governmental organization (NGO) Grupa Granica find between 40 to 80 migrants in Poland's freezing Białowieża Forest, just over the border with Belarus.
Anna Alboth, one of the founders of Grupa Granica, which helps migrants and monitors human rights violations, says that although the numbers of migrants arriving from hotspots in the Middle East is down from its peak a few months ago, they're arriving in worse condition because of the harsh Polish winter and the physical challenges posed by the forest.
"People are coming. Maybe it's not because of the organized special flights now. Maybe it is just normal flights that are coming from Istanbul or Beirut or Iraq, but we are meeting people who came in December or January," says Alboth.
The border Belarus shares with Ukraine has been under constant watch lately, as the likelihood of a full Russian invasion of Ukraine grows. But not long ago, on the other side of the country, it was Belarus' western border with Poland that was drawing attention — because of the migrant crisis said by Europe and the U.S. to have been manufactured by Belarus' strongman leader, Alexander Lukashenko. Six months since that crisis began, hundreds of migrants remain in limbo, held in centers in Belarus and Poland.
Lukashenko was accused by Europe of waging a "hybrid war" that relied on the movement of massive numbers of desperate migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries to breach the border with Poland. The Belarusian government encouraged the migrants to come through Belarus, reportedly easing visa requirements, raising the numbers of flights to Belarus and even supplying them with wire cutters to slice through border fences, according to the New York Times. Lukashenko's migrant onslaught came in the wake of European sanctions imposed on Belarus after his re-election, which the U.S. and Europe condemned as fraudulent.
Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called Lukashenko's use of vulnerable migrants "an abhorrent attempt to deflect attention from the regime's continued disregard for international law."
Poland began to defend its border aggressively in September, unleashing tear gas and water cannons on migrants who tried to cross and enacting an entry ban on the border with Belarus that turned back not only migrants, but also humanitarian organizations and journalists.
For months, hundreds of migrants lived in makeshift camps along the Polish barbed wire fence on the Belarussian side of the border. Most of those who did make it across the border, had nowhere to go and hid in the forest, fearing discovery by Polish border guards.
After a European diplomatic effort, the border crisis began to ease in December; Lukashenko told migrants they could head west or head home, and he blamed the European Union for the situation, according to Reuters. Belarus began repatriation flights, sending 3,817 Iraqi migrants home, and the United Nations assisted with the flights, repatriating another 381 migrants.
But many remain stranded in detention facilities. An estimated 1,600 who made it past Polish border guards are being held in centers run by border enforcement, although different aid organizations say the number may be even larger.
Alboth told CBS News that the people in the detention centers in Poland are treated "worse than prisoners" and that organizations like hers are still not being given access to the facilities. The organization sends food and clothing, but Alboth says Poland is constantly changing the law governing what the detainees may receive.
Grupa Granica has complained that the detention centers are dismal, with poor, overcrowded living conditions, low food rations and insufficient medical care.
The exact number of migrants still in the Białowieża Forest is unknown, but the Polish national guard tweeted on February 12 that it had apprehended over 1,180 migrants since the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the United Nations issued a statement calling on Poland to grant access to journalists and humanitarian workers to the border area and to investigate allegations of harassment of human rights defenders.
On the other side of the border, the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Belarus says there are around 450 migrants left, but aid organizations believe the number is higher, closer to 800. They're being held at a center in conditions "not suitable for extended stay" according to a Red Cross report. The report says that despite repatriation efforts, several hundred people remain, "due to their lack of ability or willingness to repatriate for a variety of reasons."
When the migrants are found in the forest, members of Grupa Granica try to address their basic needs before addressing any legal questions. Maciej Nowicki, President of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights which is part of Grupa Granica, said that some of the migrants have been sending aid workers their location so they can obtain emergency assistance. Some locals with homes in the area hold green lights outside of their doors to signal their willingness to host migrants.
Doctors Without Borders withdrew from the border in early January after being repeatedly denied access to treat migrants and refugees. The group said in a statement that the Polish authorities were stopping them from helping migrants in desperate need of humanitarian aid amid sub-zero temperatures. At least 21 people have lost their lives trying to cross in 2021, according to Doctors Without Borders.
Under international law, refugees from conflict zones may apply for asylum, but with humanitarian aid blocked from the border, it has fallen largely on local residents and groups like Grupa Granica to help the migrants.
CBS News contacted the Polish government for comment but has not received a response.
Poland is building a wall of steel topped with razor wire along the border, aimed at preventing a future surge of migrants. The wall is scheduled to be completed in June and will cost the government almost $400 million according to the Associated Press.
But now that the migrant route through Poland has been traveled, Alboth believes more people will arrive in the spring when the weather is warmer. "This route, even if all the flights would be stopped, I don't believe that this route will just disappear. When it gets a bit warmer and sleeping in the forest will not be a life risk, there will be more people coming," Alboth said.