CaliToday (/2025): Polish border guards on Friday discovered a sophisticated tunnel running under the fortified barrier that separates Poland from Belarus, a discovery that authorities are calling the latest evidence of an ongoing "hybrid warfare" campaign.
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| Tunnel connecting Belarus and Poland discovered by border guards |
The discovery was announced by Poland's Minister of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, in a post on the social media platform X. The tunnel represents a significant escalation in the methods used to breach the European Union's eastern flank.
"Officers of the [Podlaskie Border Guard] discovered a tunnel under the barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border," Kierwiński wrote. "Thanks to advanced electronic systems on the barrier, the Polish-Belarusian border is effectively protected!"
According to the minister, the tunnel was a clandestine excavation, with its start and end points located about 20 meters from the border line.
This is not an isolated incident. It marks the second such tunnel discovered this year, signaling a new and persistent tactic in the migration crisis. The first tunnel was located in the area of the Border Guard Station in Narewka.
Advanced Tech Versus New Tactics
Local officials credit the detection of both tunnels to the "advanced electronic systems" that form Poland's new border wall.
Following the initial migrant crisis in 2021, Poland embarked on a massive project to fortify the border. In July of this year, a significant section of the Polish-Belarusian border was modernized, a project that included the installation of the "most advanced and modern thermal cameras" and a comprehensive electronic detection barrier.
While the barrier was built to stop illegal crossings, the discovery of the tunnels shows that smugglers and migrants, allegedly with Belarusian support, are now attempting to go under it. The successful detection of these tunnels is being presented by Warsaw as a victory for its high-tech security investment.
A Persistent Crisis at the Border
The tunnel discovery comes as attempts to cross the border continue at an intense rate. The Podlaskie Border Guard reported that on Thursday alone, more than 60 attempts to illegally cross from Belarus were recorded.
The statistics for the year paint a stark picture of the pressure on this border. Since January 2025, Border Guard officers have recorded over 26,700 attempts to illegally cross into Poland.
This border has been the epicenter of a severe migration and humanitarian crisis since 2021. The Polish government and its EU and NATO allies have repeatedly accused the Belarusian government of orchestrating the crisis as an act of "hybrid warfare" designed to destabilize the region.
The accusation is that Belarus actively provokes the crisis by luring migrants from the Middle East and Africa to Minsk with false promises, then transports them to the border and forces them to attempt to cross into Poland.
While Poland focuses on the state-sponsored nature of the threat, its response has faced years of harsh criticism from international human rights organizations. These groups have particularly highlighted the alleged use of the "pushback" method, where Polish guards are accused of forcibly sending migrants back to Belarus without allowing them to apply for asylum, a practice that critics argue violates international law.
