London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Belarus migrant crisis: British army engineers to help at Polish border

Belarus migrant crisis: British army engineers to help at Polish border

About 150 British army Royal Engineers will be sent to help reinforce Poland's border with Belarus, the defence secretary has said.

The border is seen as an entry point to the EU, and there have been tensions in recent weeks with Belarus being accused of pushing migrants towards it.

Ben Wallace said a small reconnaissance team of engineers had already been to the area to assess the situation.

They would not be combat troops but "guys with diggers", he added.

Belarus's long-time authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, denies facilitating the arrival of migrants and sending them towards the border with Poland in revenge for EU sanctions imposed in June.

The crisis deepened on Tuesday when Polish forces used tear gas and water cannon to repel those trying to cross into the country.

Some attempted to breach a heavily fortified crossing and threw missiles at the Polish forces, leaving several with injuries.

Mr Wallace said the engineers would be dispatched "within days or weeks" but said he would first inform parliament about the planned deployment.

Speaking to the BBC during a visit to Poland Mr Wallace said: "What we will do is send some Royal Engineers - that is part of the Army designed for building or making fences or roads or putting in infrastructure.

"We are going to be using that part of our forces to help the Poles and potentially other Baltic states to secure their border."

He stressed the soldiers would not be combat troops but people with "the ability to build roads and checkpoints and observation posts", adding: "This is not combat this is support to the Poles."

On the humanitarian situation, the defence secretary said: "I'm particularly worried for the women and children and the vulnerable people who are being trafficked by the Belarusians into this game they seem to be playing.

"It's a horrendous thing to do to force migrants to be a tool in a game to try to detribalise their neighbours."

During his visit Mr Wallace visited British troops already stationed in Poland as part of Nato's Enhanced Forward Presence. He also signed an agreement in principle to sell Poland air defence missiles.

Migrants have been living in camps in freezing conditions and with little food or water just inside Belarus, stranded between Polish guards on one side and Belarusian guards on the other.

On Wednesday, after more than a week of stalemate, Belarus said it had provided temporary shelter for about 1,000 people.

Poland, with EU backing, is determined not to let the migrants into the bloc and has warned that the situation may go on for months.

It has also been accused of pushing people back across the border into Belarus, contrary to international rules of asylum.

The European Commission has accused Belarus of promising easy entry to the EU.

But Belarus has said it is trying to repatriate stranded migrants along the border, but that many have refused to return to their home countries.


Watch the BBC's Steve Rosenberg at the scene of the chaos as water cannon and tear gas is used


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×