Warsaw leverages the experience of 2022 and coordinates efforts with neighbouring states
Poland is developing contingency plans for a potential rise in the number of refugees from Ukraine during the winter. Warsaw currently views this scenario as hypothetical but is strengthening security measures at the border. This was reported by Socportal citing RMF FM, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland Bartosz Grodecki noted that the country is relying on the experience gained in 2022 for rapid response. The agency has established procedures in place to quickly organise the reception, registration, and accommodation of people should the need arise due to Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Preparing for crisis scenarios
Polish officials point out that the situation along the eastern border is tense, as the Russian Federation is attempting to destabilise the transit of aid and the operation of border crossings. Given the risks associated with the humanitarian challenges of winter, Warsaw does not want to catch its own services unprepared in the event of a new migration wave.
Simultaneously, additional engineering structures are being erected in border zones, and surveillance measures are being tightened. These steps follow recent incidents involving Russian drones, which were detected near key border checkpoints.
International coordination of measures
As part of the preparation for the potential consequences of the war, countries in the region have established an exchange of experience. Specifically, in early September, representatives from Lithuania and Latvia visited Poland to study algorithms for mass population evacuation, the coordination of logistics routes, and the rules for granting temporary asylum.
According to current data, approximately 953,000 Ukrainians are currently in Poland. This is a lower number than in the first months of the full-scale invasion, as some citizens have relocated to other European countries, including the Czech Republic.
Illustrative photo: Silar / CC BY-SA 3.0
