Five years after Trump - the EU's external border is now to be given a new “wall”

Poland is planning to build a barrier on the border with Belarus.

The EU is divided on how to react to the "attacks" by the ruler Lukashenko.

Warsaw - When Donald Trump ran for the most powerful office in the world in the 2016 US presidential election, he caused a sensation above all with an election promise beyond the borders of the United States.

After his election, the future US president promised to put a stop to immigrants by means of a wall on the border between the USA and Mexico.

At that time, criticism of the plans came not only from the national opposition but also from the European Union.

Five years after Trump: the EU's external border should have a wall

Just five years later, the EU could now have its own fence on at least part of its external border - although Polish critics also speak of a “wall”.

It is to be built on the border between Poland and Belarus.

Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski spoke last week of a “solid, high barrier with a surveillance system and motion detectors” that is to be built on the Polish eastern border.

The wall should be 300 kilometers long and five meters high and cost around 330 million euros.

Migrants from Belarus: Lukashenko encourages illegal entry - in response to sanctions

With this step the government in Warsaw wants to react to the machinations of the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. The 67-year-old is accused of bringing refugees to the EU's external border between Belarus and Poland in an organized manner and thus enabling them to travel to the European Union. In the first three weeks of October alone, the German Federal Police detected 3751 illegal entries into Germany with a connection to Belarus. Lukashenko could thus react to the tougher economic sanctions that Western countries imposed on Belarus after the 2020 presidential election.

At the end of August Poland had already erected a temporary border fence on the border with Belarus, which is now to be replaced by permanent fortifications.

Polish government officials spoke of a “barrier” or “lock” in this context.

The term “wall” was avoided.

Human fates are also linked to the rigid response to Lukashenko's approach.

"We pleaded with both sides to help us, otherwise we would die," said an Afghan man who had been trapped in the border area between Poland and Belarus for weeks, the ARD "Tagesschau" in a phone call.

Most recently, refugees tried to break the border barriers by force, and security forces responded by using tear gas.

Poland wants to build border wall: support from the CDU - "understandable and necessary"

In Germany, the Polish government receives support mainly from the conservative camp.

“Minsk is waging a hybrid war against the entire EU with targeted smuggling of migrants.

That is why the security of the EU and NATO external borders by the government of Poland is understandable and necessary, ”said CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak

with a view to Warsaw's plans.

Manfred Weber (CSU), the chairman of the conservative EPP group in the EU Parliament, also sided with Poland in his reasoning.

"The state decides who can cross the external borders of the EU, not smugglers and smugglers." In order to enforce this sovereignty of the state, "technical measures at the external borders" are also a means.

European Council condemns "attacks" by Belarus and announces reactions

The plans of the Polish government were also on the agenda at the EU summit in Brussels.

The participants showed agreement, at least when it came to assessing Lukashenko's efforts.

"The European Council will not accept any attempt by third countries to instrumentalize migrants for political purposes," said the draft summit declaration.

"He condemns the recent hybrid attacks on the EU's external borders and will respond accordingly."

However, it is unclear exactly how these corresponding reactions should look like.

Above all, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, which share a border with Belarus, have spoken out in favor of financing permanent border installations at the external borders with EU funds.

Austria's Federal Chancellor Schallenberg also called for “strong, robust external border protection”.

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, on the other hand, stressed on Friday that all measures must be in accordance with human rights.

Migrants are not treated adequately by some EU countries.