LONDON: A force of British Army Royal Engineers is to be dispatched to Poland to assist the country’s military to maintain infrastructure on its border with Belarus.
The move comes after weeks of tension, with thousands of migrants trying to cross into the EU via Poland, causing damage to border fences and other security installations, and throwing missiles at personnel on the Polish side.
Poland has deployed around 15,000 troops to the border to maintain order. Earlier this week, tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse migrants, many of whom are from the Middle East.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said a reconnaissance team of engineers had already visited the Polish border, and a larger force of around 140 will be deployed “within days or weeks.”
He is thought to have discussed the proposal with his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak on Thursday during a visit to the country, and added that he will put the proposal to Parliament before the deployment.
“What we’ll do is send some Royal Engineers — that’s part of the army designed for building or making fences or roads or putting in infrastructure,” Wallace told the BBC.
“We’re going to be using that part of our forces to help the Poles and potentially other Baltic states to secure their border,” he added. “This isn’t combat — this is support to the Poles.”
Blaszczak told local media: “The task of British soldiers will be to repair the temporary fence on the Polish-Belarusian border and to maintain and unblock road connections.”
Belarus has come under intense international scrutiny, with President Alexander Lukashanko accused of “weaponizing” migrants against the EU following the bloc’s decision to impose sanctions on Minsk in response to human rights violations.
Thousands of people are now thought to be trapped in deteriorating conditions around the border with Poland, with harsh winter weather setting in.
“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,” Wallace said.
“It’s a horrendous thing to do, to force migrants to be a tool in a game to try to destabilize their neighbors.”
