The Polish Sejm has voted to extend the temporary restriction on the right to submit applications for international protection at the border with Belarus. A total of 399 lawmakers voted in favour of the extension, 12 voted against and three abstained, the local government portal reports.
The restriction will remain in force for 60 days starting from May 21. This is already the seventh consecutive extension.
In justification of the decision, the government stated that the reasons for introducing the restriction have not been eliminated: the instrumentalisation of migration continues and poses a serious threat to national security. The document also notes that during the crisis there were regular attacks by aggressive migrants on Polish patrols using stones, bottles, smouldering branches, bricks and sticks with attached knives and nails.
In addition, it was noted that “Belarusian state services actively participated (covertly or openly) in attacks on soldiers, police officers and Border Guard personnel.”
“Numerous cases were recorded of direct attacks by representatives of the Belarusian services, including aiming firearms, throwing stones at Polish officers positioned along the border line, blinding them with lasers or powerful strobe lights and thereby obstructing efforts to prevent migrants from illegally crossing the border,” the justification states.
A separate point mentioned the increasing number of attempts to dig tunnels under the border fence under the supervision of Belarusian services.
From the introduction of the restriction until April 21, 2026, applications were not accepted from 475 foreigners. At the same time, 127 applicants from vulnerable groups were granted protection. During the same period a year earlier, 3,130 applications for protection covering 3,611 people had been submitted at the Belarusian section of the border.
