US provides equipment and training to protect Polish border from migratory pressures

The United States has provided Poland with $2.1 million worth of equipment and training to bolster border security in response to migration pressures from Belarus. This includes 45 drones and nine advanced thermal imaging cameras, which were delivered to the Polish Border Guard during an event in Warsaw. The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, along with other agencies, is funding a $12 million program to support Poland and Baltic states in addressing the migration crisis.

The equipment donation and accompanying training are part of a broader security partnership between the two countries. Poland has also strengthened its physical and electronic barriers along the border with Belarus and eased rules on the use of firearms by uniformed officers to better protect the border. As a result, illegal crossings from Belarus to Poland have decreased by 98% this year, and Poland claims a 100% success rate in apprehending migrants who manage to cross illegally.