Construction of a second barrier along Poland’s border with Belarus has begun in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. According to RMF FM, construction materials are already being delivered to the border area.
The new barrier will consist of a four-meter-high fence made of metal mesh, built along a road that runs next to the existing metal structure. Additionally, two rows of barbed wire will be placed alongside it.
The structure is intended to stop migrants who manage to cross the main five-meter fence and to make it easier for border guards to carry out detentions and interventions.
According to the outlet, installation of the second line of defense will begin in the coming days, with engineering units carrying out the work. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of January, and the full barrier should be ready by early spring.
Between the start of the year and November 11, 1,428 people who illegally crossed the border were detained in Podlaskie Voivodeship. During the same period last year, there were at least 5,015 such cases.
The first barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border was built in response to the migration crisis that began in 2021. The metal structure, about 186 kilometers long and 5.5 meters high (including half a meter of barbed wire), was erected in 2022. It is equipped with cameras, motion sensors, and thermal imaging systems. The structure was later upgraded with additional security measures.