The Jungle
Hanna Jarzabek
In 2022, Poland welcomed one and a half million Ukrainian refugees and provided them with necessary assistance, including work and residency permits. However, just a few kilometers to the north, at the border with Belarus, refugees, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, face extremely harsh anti-immigration policies.
Since November 2021, thousands of these refugees have attempted to cross the Bialowieza Forest, the last primeval forest remaining in Europe. The forest, dubbed «The Jungle» by some refugees, is a dangerous and difficult place to navigate, especially for those unfamiliar with the harsh northeastern European climate. Many refugees get trapped in the forest for extended periods, facing extreme conditions such as lack of food and water, and, in winter, a high risk of death from hypothermia. If border guards catch them, they are forced to cross back over the border, often left in the Belarusian side of the forest, frequently at night with no witnesses and with their phones destroyed to prevent communication with the outside world.
In July 2022, the Polish government completed the construction of a 183-kilometer wall along the border to prevent migrant entry. However, despite this measure, migration flows continue, and the situation for refugees in the Bialowieza Forest worsens. Since the start of the crisis, the Polish government has criminalized humanitarian assistance at this border, even labeling those who provide aid as «fools and traitors.» Despite this, a large portion of the local population, along with volunteers from other parts of Poland and abroad, have been assisting refugees at great personal risk, including fines and arrests.
In the forest, border guards have set up numerous trail cameras to monitor the movement of refugees, making it difficult for them to move undetected. They have also obstructed access to medical care, further exacerbating the plight of those in need. During the first ten months of the crisis, the border area was sealed off, preventing humanitarian organizations from entering. Although this ban has been lifted, large organizations have yet to commence any significant humanitarian activities in the area.
