Poland to spend more than $ 400 million to build wall on border with Belarus

The construction of a wall on its border with Belarus is planned by Poland spending 1.6 billion zlotys ($ 404 million), according to a bill expected to be debated by lawmakers Wednesday (13/10) in a bid to stem the flow of immigrants trying to cross the border.

In August, Poland began construction of a fence with barbed wire along its borders with Belarus to stop the passage of illegal immigrants despite criticism of the inhuman treatment of some migrants. The wall, which will be equipped with a system of motion detectors and cameras, will further enhance border security, notes the APE-MPE.

Poland and its EU partners Lithuania and Latvia have reported significant increases in migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq crossing their borders with Belarus, in what Warsaw and Brussels describe as a form of hybrid military operation with to put pressure on the EU over sanctions against Minsk.

“Attempts to cross the border are increasing”

“Despite the fact that barbed wire and a folding wire fence have been erected on the Polish-Belarusian part of the state border, attempts to cross the border are not decreasing, but increasing,” the bill said on Parliament’s website.

From the beginning of January to the end of September, according to the bill, the border guards prevented 9,287 attempts to cross the border from Belarus to Poland, of which 8,000 were made in the last two months.

“Due to the fact that the situation may continue for many months, we still need to take protective measures,” said government spokesman Peter Miller.

The total cost of the project is 1.615 billion zlotys, of which 1.5 billion zlotys will be spent on the construction of the dam itself, while 115 million zlotys will be given on technical equipment.