Polish lawmakers voted on July 26 in favor of a bill making it easier for security services to use weapons at the Poland-Belarus border, legislation that has public support but that critics say infringes human rights. Poland has been dealing with an influx of migrants at the border since 2021. Both Warsaw and the EU say Belarus and Russia have been orchestrating the crisis by flying in migrants from the Middle East and Africa. The situation turned tragic in June when a Polish soldier was fatally stabbed through the border fence. The bill would allow security services to use force including firearms on the border in certain emergency situations.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.