Poland’s Duda signs special law on building "wall" on border with Belarus, Russia, Ukraine

03.11.2021 15:39

Ukrinform

President Andrzej Duda of Poland has enforced special legislation on the construction of a barrier on the state border, which is also the EU's border with non-member states – Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

That’s according to the Office of Poland’s President, Ukrinform reports.

"On November 2, President Andrzej Duda signed a law of October 29 on the construction of a barrier at the state border," the head of state’s office said.

Both chambers of the Polish parliament supported the draft law last week. The new special law envisages construction of a modern high barrier, equipped with video surveillance and motion detection systems, worth more than 1.6 billion zlotys (more than US$400 million). The project will be implemented beyond standard tender procedures in an streamlined mode. The project is invested by a senior official of the Polish Border Guard Service.

The law enters into force on the day of its publication in the Bulletin of Laws.

Government spokesman Piotr Mueller said on Wednesday, November 3, that construction works would begin in a few weeks, expected to be completed in a few months.

It is reported that several hundred illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa attempt to penetrate the Polish-Belarusian border every day. Warsaw has accused Minsk of deliberately creating migration pressure on the common border as part of Minsk and Moscow’s hybrid efforts targeting Poland and the EU in general.

Since early September, a state of emergency has been enforced in Polish settlements close to the border with Belarus. Poland’s border guards regularly report provocations at the border on the part of Belarusian security agencies.