Fifty migrants break through border into Poland: report

Polish border guards have warned of another “big attempt” of migrants trying to enter the country after 50 broke through border defenses and entered Poland on Saturday, Reuters reports. 

The migrants who crossed illegally were caught by Polish forces and brought back to the border, Border Guard spokeswoman Katarzyna Zdanowicz told Polish state news agency PAP, Reuters reported. In the skirmish, one officer was also admitted to hospital after being hit with a stone.

Polish border forces tweeted that Belarusian soldiers tried to destroy the temporary fence near the Czeremcha region. Polish services were blinded by laser and strobe lights and about a 100 migrants were equipped with tear gas provided by the Belarusian forces.

Last night near #Czeremcha, Belarusian soldiers tried to destroy the temporary fence. Polish services were blinded by laser and strobe lights. Migrants were equipped with tear gas.

border guard prevented any attempts to cross the border. https://t.co/hDzrHYYhXx

— Poland in the EU (@PLPermRepEU) November 13, 2021

The security agency also tweeted that on Saturday alone they recorded 223 attempts to illegally cross the border.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told local media that NATO should take “concrete steps” to resolve the migrant crisis on the Belarus border, and that Poland, Lithuania and Latvia may trigger Article 4 of NATO treaty.

Under Article 4, any member country can request consultations whenever their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

“It is not enough just for us to publicly express our concern – now we need concrete steps and the commitment of the entire alliance,” Morawiecki said according to Reuters.