EXPLAINER: Why Poland wants state of emergency near border
By VANESSA GERA, Associated Press
Published: September 2, 2021, 8:13am
Share:
3 Photos
Migrants stuck along the Poland-Belarus border carry plastic water bottles as they are surrounded by Polish forces in Usnarz Gorny, Poland, on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Poland has been reinforcing its border with Belarus - also part of the EU's eastern border - after thousands of migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere tried to illegally enter the country. The Polish government says it is the target of a "hybrid war" waged by authoritarian Belarus. Human rights activists are concerned about a group caught along the border, trapped between armed guards on each side. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)Photo Gallery
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s President Andrzej Duda signed a declaration Thursday calling for a 30-day state of emergency in areas along the country’s border with Belarus to stop migrant crossings. Parliament is expected to formally approve the move on Monday. In that case, Poland will become the third European Union member to impose a state of emergency in areas bordering Belarus — after Lithuania and Latvia did so earlier this summer for the same reason.
Your tax-deductible donation to The Columbian’s Community Funded Journalism program will contribute to better local reporting on key issues, including homelessness, housing, transportation and the environment. Reporters will focus on narrative, investigative and data-driven storytelling.
Local journalism needs your help. It’s an essential part of a healthy community and a healthy democracy.
