Polish official accuses NGOs aiding irregular migrants of Belarusian ties

Some NGOs helping migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border cooperate with Belarusian security services, Poland’s deputy interior minister Maciej Duszczyk said in comments to the media about the situation at the Terespol border crossing checkpoint. His remarks sparked controversy in the Polish media.

The official did not specify which organizations he was referring to. However, only two organizations in Poland are seeking interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights to block the deportation of migrants attempting to enter Poland through the Brest–Terespol border crossing crossing. They are Hope&Humanity Poland and the Institute for the Rule of Law.

The head of the Institute, Tomasz Sieniow, demanded that Duszczyk either apologize or specify which organizations are allegedly cooperating with Belarusian security services.

“If agents of the Lukashenko regime are operating in our country, they should face criminal responsibility rather than being vaguely discussed in the media and confusing uninformed audiences,” he said.

Małgorzata Rycharska from Hope&Humanity responded sarcastically to the deputy minister’s remarks:

“Both we and the Institute for the Rule of Law know when the people we prepare assistance for will appear at border crossings, which — according to the minister — is supposed to prove cooperation. We use a magical technology for this called the internet.”