– At one point we observed migrants being taken from border areas towards Russia. Stasiulevich stressed that Lukashenko may be concerned about domestic peace before the presidential election. However, he did not want to predict what would happen to those who were previously in the border area. In his opinion, they could be used and sent from Russia to Finland.
According to Border Patrol data, 86 people attempted to cross the border in the first two weeks of January 2025, an average of six people a day. This is much lower than last year’s average, when more than 80 border crossing attempts were recorded every day.
According to Border Force statistics, the number of crossings increased significantly last year (29,616 from 25,701 in 2023), but a reverse trend has been observed since the last week of September 2024.
Migrants at the border. “Lukashenko is trying to maintain peace before the elections.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Interior Maciej Duszczyk said that, as in previous years, the weather had a major impact on the decrease in the number of level crossings. He predicts that Belarusian services and intermediaries that help direct people to the Poland-Belarus border will likely be more active during the warmer months, when it is easier to cross.
“However, one could suspect that Lukashenko wants to bring order to the country while preparing for presidential elections,” Duszczyk said. The deputy minister noted that the presence of migrants arriving in Belarus with Russian visas could make potential voters nervous. If Belarusians take to the streets to protest again after the elections, their presence in Minsk will likely also be unwelcome.
– In addition, the presence of migrants is causing concern in villages near the Polish-Belarusian border. He pointed out that this could discourage people from voting. “I am not inside Mr. Lukashenko’s head, but I can suspect that the low numbers are because he is trying to maintain peace in the country,” Duszczyk stressed.
The deputy minister said the easing of pressure would be temporary and that Lukashenko would likely continue his campaign of “using people as weapons.” “Work on strengthening the border will be completed by June,” Maciej Duszczyk announced.
Belarus’ presidential elections are scheduled for January 26, with Alyaksandr Lukashenko as the only candidate.
Marshal Seim Simon Horounia on motion to exempt Mateusz Morawiecki from immunity/Polsat News/Polsat News
