Visa-free entry for Polish citizens will be allowed at all checkpoints on the border with the European Union, the State Border Committee of Belarus announced on March 1.

"Visa-free" will operate from 00:00 on March 2 to December 31, inclusive.

Previously, Polish citizens could enter Belarus without a visa only at the Belarusian-Polish border, but now there is only one checkpoint in Brest.

On April 15 of last year, Belarus introduced a visa-free regime for citizens of Lithuania, citizens and non-citizens of Latvia, and on July 1 — for citizens of Poland.

SEE ALSO: After the Pochobut verdict, Poland decided to close the border crossing with Belarus in Bobrovniki

Aggravation of relations between Poland and Belarus

After the announcement of the verdict on journalist

Andrzej Pachobut,

an activist of the Polish minority, on February 8 , relations between the countries began to deteriorate.

Poland has suspended the operation of the checkpoint "Bobrovniki" since February 10.

In addition, since February 21, Poland has restricted the movement of Belarusian trucks through the Kukuriki-Kazlovichi border crossing.

In response, Minsk decided to send a liaison officer of the Polish border guard and two employees of the Polish consulate in Hrodna from Belarus.

Poland has decided to send a Belarusian attache on defense issues.

SEE ALSO: The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Poland stated that they do not rule out a complete stoppage of traffic on the border with Belarus: "We want Pachobut to become free"

Closure of border crossings between Poland and Belarus.

What you should know

  • In July 2021,

    Alexander Lukashenko

    said that due to sanctions, Belarus will no longer curb illegal migration to EU countries.

    Poland has become one of the countries to which flows of migrants rushed.

    Responding to the crisis, Poland, like Lithuania, began building a wall on the border with Belarus, and on November 9, 2021, closed the Kuznica Bialystok - Bruzgi crossing.

  • In Warsaw, Lukashenka's regime was accused of organizing illegal migration to EU countries in order to blackmail EU countries and demand the lifting of sanctions.

    Polish Prime Minister

    Mateusz Morawiecki

    expressed confidence that the scenario of "hybrid aggression" against the European Union was not developed by Minsk independently, but in close cooperation with Moscow.

  • On February 9, 2023, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland,

    Mariusz Kaminski,

    announced the decision to close the Bobrowniki-Berastawicz border crossing, starting from February 10.

    This was Poland's response to the political sentence against journalist

    Andrzej Pachobut

    , an activist of the Polish national minority in Belarus.

    He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

  • There are a total of 6 checkpoints on the Belarusian-Polish border.

    From February 10, 2023, only one of them is open for cars and one for trucks, in Brest.

Border crossings on the border of Belarus and Poland.

Infographics

  • Brest (Terespol on the Polish side) — valid only for cars;

  • Kozlovichi (Kukuriki) — passage is allowed only for trucks;

  • Bruzgi (Kuznica Bialystokskaya) — closed in 2021;

  • Berastovitsa (Bobrovniki), - closed from February 10, 2023;

  • Piaschatka (Polawtsi) - does not function on the initiative of the Polish side;

  • Damachava (Slovatychy) - does not function on the initiative of the Polish side.

    • The border crossing with Lithuania "Privalka - Raigardas" continues to operate near Hrodna.

      It is located close to the border with Poland.

    • At a press conference in Brussels on February 10, the Polish Prime Minister noted that Warsaw is considering the option of closing the remaining two border crossings with Belarus.

      He stated that the Russians and the Kremlin are treating Belarus "instrumentally", and this poses a great threat to Poland and Ukraine.

    • Before the border crossing in Bobrovniki was closed, at least 12 customs officers were detained there.

      It may be about bribery.

      This was reported by Gazeta Wyborcza.

      The publication received information about the detention of customs officials on the night of February 11, already after the border crossing was closed.

    • On February 13, the Border Committee of Belarus reported that the number of cars at other crossings increased by 16% during the first weekend after the closure of Bobrovniki.