EU Border Gridlock Funnels Belarusians Toward Russia

A daily reality of immense queues, often numbering between four to five thousand vehicles, has gripped the Belarus-Poland border, creating a bottleneck that is more than just a logistical nightmare. For countless ordinary Belarusians, the last remaining open border crossing at Brest has become a symbol of a difficult choice, as heightened Polish border security and internal fraudulent schemes turn the dream of European travel into an exhausting ordeal.

The situation has escalated to the point of a high-level meeting in Warsaw, where Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated he expects an increase in attempts by migrants to cross the border, attributing the pressure to the Lukashenka regime. Reinforcing this, General Robert Bagan, the Chief Commandant of the Border Guard, reported hundreds of illegal crossing attempts in recent days, noting continued aggression from migrants. This intensified scrutiny by Polish authorities, however, has had a severe knock-on effect on legitimate travelers.

Complicating matters further, Belarusian authorities have recently admitted to a homegrown problem fueling the chaos. The Ministry of Taxes and Duties exposed a fraudulent scheme where individuals with a legal right to cross the border without waiting—such as those with disabilities or families with young children—were accepting money to act as “priority passengers.” They would ride in a stranger’s car to bypass the queue on the Belarusian side, only to exit the vehicle on the bridge over the Bug river and return to Belarus to find new “clients,” never actually entering Poland. In response, Belarusian agencies have launched a crackdown, reporting a significant reduction in such abuses.

Yet for thousands of Belarusians stuck in these lines, the reasons behind the delays are less important than the stark reality they face. As political analyst Pavel Bykovsky notes, this is not about abstract geopolitics for the people in those cars, many of whom are simply trying to visit family who fled repression or take a long-awaited vacation. The overwhelming difficulty of entering the EU—marked by bureaucratic hurdles, rising costs, and endless waiting—stands in sharp contrast to the open roads and simplified access to education and work in Russia.

This powerful contrast is shaping more than just travel plans; it is influencing the life trajectories of an entire generation. While the idea of a “European choice” remains, the practical, daily experience at the border is pushing Belarusians toward Russia, not necessarily out of political allegiance, but as a matter of simple convenience and practicality. The closed door to the West inadvertently leaves the door to the East as the only viable option for many.