Tunisia coast. September 2023. After returning from the Polish-Belarusian border, I am yet going on a real vacation. We are standing on the coast, the guide says it is the closest point to Europe. A minute later, our driver Karim tells me that this is where the boats sail to Lampedusa. Just a fewer days earlier, in Le Monde, I read about the situation of refugees from sub-Saharan Africa in Tunisia, how they are being pushed towards Europe, or on the contrary, how property is being taken distant from Tunisia, frequently burning it together with papers to then push them towards Algeria and Libya. We talk, a fewer days later on the telephone I watch movies from specified “actions”. We're at the border again.
The Eternal Return of the Same
Almost at the same time, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melloni meet on Lampedusa. This is the time erstwhile thousands of fresh migrants arrived on the island in just a week (it is estimated that about 8,500 people arrived in 199 boats in 3 days), the exile camp breaks in stitches and their number exceeds the number of inhabitants of the island. Von der Leyen speaks of the request to increase surveillance at sea and from the air, pointing to the anticipation of better usage of Frontex, and Melloni, in order to halt the wave of migration, deals with Tunisian authorities (the push-back effect at Tunisian borders). This cooperation will be strengthened in April of this year, at the same time softening its earlier communicative erstwhile he says: “Italy can do much more about legal migration. However, it is highly crucial that we work on further fighting the slave traders of the 3rd millennium, or mafia organizations, which exploit the legitimate aspirations of those seeking a better life." The images of specified people, from yesterday and from today, besides from the past, erstwhile Poles sought a better life, breath of freedom or better work looking outside Poland in the 1980s. another images – from the beginning of the 2015 exile crisis.
And we're at the border again. due to the fact that the exile crisis affects Europe as a whole, it is not just a problem in 1 country or another. With emphasis we are talking about the request for change, we are discussing the form of a alleged rational migration policy, in which we must not only be aware that migration is not the work of the devil and the witch, but a natural process, old as humanity itself; but we must besides not forget that there are different faces of migration, its motives (because people flee from war and persecution, from the threat of death or linked to their convictions in prison; due to the fact that they escape hunger and thirst as a consequence of climate change; because, finally, they search a better life or unite with families) and directions. We have been paying more attention to its fact since the beginning of the exile crisis in 2015. Although migration has previously been a visible process, it is this year that is considered to be a "zero year" erstwhile the wave of refugees and migrants is expanding and according to Eurostat data the number of asylum applications lodged in all European Union countries reaches 1.2 million (which means doubling the number from the erstwhile year). Men, women, children, young and old. Yes, there are besides persons associated with terrorist organizations among the visitors, but it would be foolish to think that they would be missing in specified a immense mass of people. The wave is rising, and Europe is... unable. any – like Hungary – are building a barrier to break the alleged Balkan trail; Greece is in danger of humanitarian crisis, relocation of refugees begins and Angela Merkel announces that "those who search aid must get asylum in Europe". At the same time in Poland Jarosław Kaczyński is swindling at the electoral rally, in alternatively vague words claiming that they carry diseases. This speech of hatred and the demolition of social resilience, in which the breach constitutes an alleged necessity to bring 100,000 Muslims, helps him win the election. Systemic solutions are missing. Nobody promised it would be easy. But there are quite a few struggles, sometimes conflicting decisions, another times going from utmost to extreme. However, there is no coherent policy that indicates the rational direction of action. Rational for both visitors and residents.
Guy in the house.
Another wave of refugees brings war in Ukraine. After February 24, 2022, no 1 doubts that the doors of our homes will be wide open. due to the fact that here the exile is no longer a distant person, individual of a different skin color, an unlike confession, individual who is subconsciously considered to be “dangerous.” On the stake there are historical events, due to the fact that they are a small "ours" (at least for a moment), due to the fact that their misfortune, fear, pain, tragedy, failure are visible on the palm of their hand. Solidarity with those in request is born in a flash. Almost without question or doubt. any will come in time, others will accompany us to this day. But the consciousness of war, its proximity, as well as a simple human instinct rooted in both our nature and culture and upbringing: to aid those who were in request (for a while, let us ignore the fact that this "in need" was inactive more selective). The aid needed by a large part of those fleeing the war is estimated to have left about 10 million people, a 4th of the population, in the first 2 months of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Poland, but besides another EU countries, have not only opened their borders, but have shown themselves (in Poland it is the domain of citizens, a powerful solidarity movement of individual people) to supply support. There have been reception points, exile service centres, accommodation facilities, school spaces, support systems, Ukrainian subtitles, free communication, the integration of refugees into local medical or social care systems, regular assistance to people but besides animals that as household members have not been left behind in a war-torn country. I don't think anyone needs to be reminded of what it was like today, but as it is, the war in Ukraine is not over. It should be remembered, however, that this large aid movement was not the work of the ruling then United Right, who later willingly – in Poland and abroad – boasted thanks. It was and is the work of people – individuals, NGOs, sometimes spontaneously connecting even above political divisions, because... war. At the end of last year, according to Eurostat data, 957 200 000 refugees from Ukraine are temporarily protected in Poland. However, let us remember that Poland is not the only country that has accepted refugees – erstwhile it comes to crucial numbers of refugees, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova are besides included. At the end of February 2024, the position of temporary protection in the EU had 4.2 million people who fled Ukraine as a consequence of Russian aggression. They're besides refugees. Despite the war that is taking place right at the east border of the European Union, it is not only for the interior policy to be "easy", but even at this border.
Hazardous hybrid
Conventional war and its influx of refugees is 1 thing. Something else is the hybrid war, which has been happening on the Polish-Belarusian border since 2022, again on the east border of the EU. The hybrid war is like a hydra – erstwhile you cut off 1 head, it grows back, and sometimes in its place 2 grow up. It aims to "bring the enemy's strength, influence and will into erosion", and to undermine assurance in the appropriate functioning of the state and deepen social divisions.By combining conventional actions with all possible "fantasia" – i.e. diversionary actions, terrorism, elements of cyber warfare, the sowing of disinformation and hostile propaganda, irregular actions or yet crime – it aims to destabilise political and social relations, disrupt global relations, or yet disrupt social resilience without which individual communities are affected, disrupted improvement or yet disrupted interior relations and even global politics. The simplest thing to say is we don't want to be scared. That's understandable. This is precisely the fear and insecurity of hybrid warfare.
We are dealing with this – without any uncertainty – on the border of Posko-Belarusian. Only that the weapon in this hybrid variety became another man. erstwhile we look at the border for the second year, we see people there – including women and children – who did not come to the Belarusian forests for the intended camp of survival, but believed that the alleged Belarusian way was a fast and easy way to Europe. That only the day of the march and possibly the night in the forest separates them from the promise of a better life, or from security, due to the fact that among migrants there are besides those who escape war or the threat of death. And yet there is simply a war going on, and they became completely unconsciously a weapon. However, any have become victims not only of propaganda or of Belarusian services, but besides of another people in the woods, who are trained to make confusion. most likely the victim of this kind of action was a Polish soldier who died in the infirmary after he was wounded with a knife in the border lane. Only that on the 1 hand there are militias, on the another hand we have women and children in the forest, who, as aid organisations indicate, are already exposed not only to diseases or dehumanizing surviving conditions, but besides to the taking of property, hunger, aggression, violence, including sexual violence, or death.This is what Donald Tusk spoke of on 4 June, ensuring that he is Prime Minister, "that borderers find empathy in their hearts so that women and children on the border do not suffer."
When safety becomes a precedence – and well – specified a minimum must be reflected in practice. Today, speaking about the Shield of the East, it points to 3 pillars: the strength of the Polish army, the strength of alliances and social resilience. Only that building the second is not for the unsolved problem of hybrid war, due to the fact that it will not end by creating a buffer region or militarizing the border. And although these actions are not only legitimate, but even necessary, in the face of the tremendous multi-level aggression of Russia and Belarus, we will proceed to rotate around without migration policy. If the minimum plan was to presume the end of push-backs – incompatible with national law, including the Constitution of Poland, as well as binding Poland (and another countries) with global agreements, including the 1951 Geneva Convention on exile position or yet the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights rule non-refoulement – guarantees of compliance with the law, medical and legal assistance or yet accepting applications (with a fast examination way and appropriate action resulting from the evaluation of the proposal) would be the first step. Another would most likely be a multi-level countering propaganda sloping in the countries of origin, a clear demonstration that the Belarusian way is not short for Europe, but a hazard beyond the human concept, a hazard that is not usually worth the risk. And although it won't end the hybrid war, it might make it hard for everyone to go on that road. Since this war is like a hydra, simply cutting off its next heads is simply counterproductive.
This isn't the finale.
The finale is hard. We are in the network of links between war and politics, inactive practicing the erstwhile (as peaceful as possible) but with the second we want to prevent. A coherent migration policy is simply a necessity, and I do not anticipate much merit in this respect to begin with its Presidency in the EU on 1 July, Hungary. The pro-Russian and anti-immigrant government of Victor Orban can only carelessly sharpen the course. The burden of developing migration policy will most likely shift to 2025, and so to the Polish Presidency which was then beginning. If we say present that safety is simply a priority, it is hard to consider it without forward-looking reasoning not only about the migration crisis or the hybrid war within the EU, but about the links in which we are all in which dialog between governments, societies and NGOs is necessary. We request results – not for present or tomorrow, but for yesterday. And if so, we gotta start listening to each other. erstwhile it comes to human rights, we cannot compromise, but we can find it on many another issues.
