Hanna Jarzabek, a Spanish-Polish documentary photographer and nominee for the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) Impact Award 2024, paints a bleak picture of the situation at the Polish-Belarusian border where thousands of refugees are trying to cross the Białowieża Forest nicknamed 'The Jungle'.

By Hanna Jarzabek

Since November 2021, thousands of refugees, primarily from Middle Eastern and African countries, have attempted to cross the Białowieża Forest, the last remaining primeval forest in Europe, situated along the border between Poland and Belarus. The forest, nicknamed 'The Jungle' by some refugees, is a perilous and difficult place to traverse, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with the harsh climate of north-eastern Europe. Many refugees become trapped in the forest for extended periods of time, where they face extreme conditions such as lack of food and water, and a high risk of hypothermia and death during the winter. If caught by Border Guards, these refugees are usually forced to cross back over the border, which involves being left in the woods on the Belarusian side, often at night, without witnesses and with their phones destroyed to prevent communication with the outside world. These forced returns, known as pushbacks, occur even in extreme conditions, with no exceptions made for pregnant women or individuals on the brink of hypothermia, who are still expelled to Belarusian territory. Some of the refugees have claimed to have suffered these push-backs on several occasions, reaching up to 17 times.

The previous Polish government built a border wall topped with concertina wire and reinforced at the base. Like similar barriers elsewhere, it fails to stop people from attempting to enter Europe but instead exposes them to other severe injuries. Border Guards have also installed camera traps in the forest to detect movements of refugees and aid workers. Without refugee camps, refugees hide in the forest to avoid pushbacks to Belarus, and the growing military presence hampers access to humanitarian aid.

Since the beginning, providing humanitarian aid at this border has faced significant challenges. After the far-right government lost power in October 2023, hopes for migration policy change arose, but violence, rejections and limited access to medical care have persisted. Currently, Doctors Without Borders operates with just three part-time staff to offer medical care along the 400-kilometre border. The organisation lacks a permanent base, unlike in other border regions with similar migratory flows. They face difficult conditions, often providing help in the dark and without the proper equipment to make an accurate diagnosis. They adapt their treatment to forest conditions, for example giving intravenous infusions at night or providing urgent medical attention in severe cases such as miscarriage.

After the construction of the wall, in addition to health problems, various types of fractures are now taking place, as people trying to climb over the wall sometimes fall from heights of up to 5 metres. Some of the fractures require complicated operations and months of recovery. In these cases, as well as in cases of hypothermia, the only solution is to call an ambulance, knowing that the person will be arrested and watched by the Border Guards during his hospital stay. After the person is discharged from the hospital, the Border Guards decide, based on their own criteria, whether to send them to a closed centre for foreigners or to an open one. According to what several interviewees told me, there were situations where some refugees, after finishing their stay in the hospital, were transported by the Border Guards back to the forest and pushed back to the Belarusian side, and the story started all over again from the beginning.

In recent months, the number of soldiers stationed at the Polish-Belarusian border has also steadily increased, reflecting escalating tensions in the region. In June 2024, a migrant at the border stabbed a Polish soldier, who later died from his wounds. In response, the new government intensified its anti-migration campaign and introduced a law permitting soldiers to use weapons whenever they deem it necessary, without facing accountability for their actions. This decision raises significant concerns, particularly in light of previous alarming incidents involving the use of force. For example, in October 2023, a Syrian refugee was shot in the back during daylight hours, sustaining severe injuries. Similarly, in November 2023, humanitarian volunteers reported that Border Guards fired in their direction without prior warning while they were attempting to provide aid. The new law not only risks normalising such dangerous practices, but also creates a climate of impunity, further endangering both refugees and those offering humanitarian assistance. By granting unchecked authority to soldiers, this policy undermines basic human rights and could escalate violence in an already volatile border region.

Donald Tusk seeks to project an image of being more open and aware of human rights, yet his government continues to perpetuate the previous administration's narrative of portraying migrants at this border as a threat to Polish society, dehumanising and labelling them as terrorists or criminals. The previous government also tried to classify humanitarian helpers as aiding human trafficking — a crime punishable by up to eight years in prison. It seems this policy will continue under Donald Tusk's government. On 28 January 2025, five humanitarian volunteers who assisted a family from Iraq and an Egyptian individual in 2022, will face trial, risking the same harsh penalty.

Furthermore, little optimism can be drawn from the newly announced migration policy (October 2024). The buffer zone, introduced last July, remains in effect, severely restricting access for humanitarian organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, as well as journalists, thus obstructing the delivery of aid to refugees and the documentation of human rights abuses by Polish authorities.

The most contentious aspect of this policy however, is the plan to suspend the right to asylum at this border — a measure that blatantly contradicts fundamental human rights recognised across Europe. Moreover, this policy will have far-reaching implications for the local population in the border region, yet it has been developed without any prior consultation with them or humanitarian organisations. These organisations, which have been tirelessly working to provide aid, have also amassed critical knowledge about the situation, the needs of refugees attempting to cross and the challenges they face. Ignoring such insights not only undermines humanitarian efforts but also risks exacerbating an already dire situation.

This investigative report has been conducted with the support of a grant from the Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund.

Hanna Jarzabek is a Spanish-Polish documentary photographer based in Madrid, with a background in Political Science and experience as a political analyst for UN agencies. Her work focuses on themes like discrimination, gender identity, sexual diversity and migratory flows along the EU's eastern borders with a sensitive and respectful approach. Her work has been published in major outlets like El País and Newsweek Japan, exhibited internationally and recognised with numerous awards, including a nomination for the IJ4EU Impact Award 2024 and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2023.