Poland, Lewosze, 2021-10-29. Sara and Hassan, Syrian refugees seen in the forest near Lewosze, Poland. Sara is 5 months pregnant with their first child. They were reportedly pushed back from Poland to Belarus 9 or 10 times before successfully contacting NGO and receiving legal help from Ombudsman office. They were granted international protection and were later transported to transitional facility in Połowce.
Poland, Lewosze, 2021-10-29. Military patrol in the forest near Milejczyce, Poland. Heavy military presence, police checkpoints and constant tension is upsetting to local residents.
Poland, Lewosze, 2021-10-29. Anas, Syrian refugee in the forest near Lewosze, Poland. Anas sustained a head injury in a car crash in Belarus, and suffers from disorientation and recurring loss of vision. He was pushed back by Polish border patrol several times before successfully contacting NGO and receiving legal help from Ombudsman office. He was later granted international protection and were later transported to transitional facility in Połowce.
Tołcze, Poland, 2022-08-03. Border fence near Tołcze village.
Poland, Hajnówka, 2021-10-31. Mustafa, 15, Syrian refugee from Daraa, speaking to a journalist outside local hospital in Hajnówka. Mustafa was separated from his father when crossing Polish-Belarusian border. He was later found in the forest by a local villager who contacted volunteers from Granica Group, a network of small NGOs providing legal and humanitarian assistance to migrants and refugees. Volunteers helped the boy with an asylum application and managed to locate that his father had been admitted to the hospital with minor injuries but Mustafa was unable to see him due to COVID restrictions. New Polish legislation introduced in October 2021 authorizes pushbacks even in case of asylum seekers and the most vulnerable (minors, pregnant women, people with disabilities).
Poland, Hajnówka, 2021-10-31. Local firefighter restocking the Refugee help point in Szymki. Help points, available 24/7, have been established in several locations along the border and are stocked with food, water, warm clothes and blankets, and powerbanks.
Poland, Hajnówka, 2021-10-30. Agnieszka Jakunin, 48, tourist guide and a resident of Hanjówka, Poland, who helps refugees lost in the forest in her spare time.
Poland, Borek, 2021-11-01. Daniel O., 26, from Cameroon, warming up in local house near Hajnówka. Daniel spent two and a half weeks in the forest and was pushed back three times despite carrying signed asylum application. New Polish legislation introduced in October 2021 authorizes pushbacks even in case of asylum seekers and the most vulnerable (minors, pregnant women, people with disabilities). Local residents often help the migrants and refugees in any way they can, offering food, water, shower, clean clothes or just a warm place at the stove.
Poland, Bohoniki, 2022-08-03. Graves of refugees and migrants who died crossing the border from Belarus occupy section of the local cemetery.