Trapped Lives at Poland Belarus Border VEED 1

TRAPPED BETWEEN
BORDERS:
THE LIFE-THREATENING
CONSEQUENCES OF INCREASED
MILITARIZATION AND VIOLENCE
AT THE POLAND-BELARUS BORDER The Cycle of Violence
Between Borders
This image is a simplified
depiction of the PolandBelarus border dynamics.
Stranded in the Forbidden Zone
People seeking protection in Europe spend, on average, 3 weeks stranded in the forest, facing injuries from
violence and medical conditions related to the environment.
Crossing the Border Fence
One-third of MSF patients reported injuries and fractures from climbing or falling from the fence. Vulnerable
individuals (e.g. pregnant women, children, people with chronic diseases or disabilities) face additional barriers
to crossing.
Movement in the Buffer Zone
Exposure to violence increases due to limited civil society monitoring and humanitarian access, with reports of
humiliating treatment, tear gassing, beatings, rubber bullets, and the destruction of personal belongings.
Exposure to Pushbacks
People who manage to cross the border often are forced to hide from authorities, fearing forced return to the
eastern side of the fence.
Suffering Pushbacks
In 2024, pushback reports among MSF patients significantly increased, with nearly half of all patients reporting
being pushed back, 72% of them at least twice.create engaging dynamic video