CONTEXT
Photographs & text - © Hanna Jarzabek
This photo-reportage features images and testimonies gathered between August 2022 and March 2024, during my various trips to Poland to cover this subject.
Since November 2021, thousands of refugees mainly from the Middle East and Africa have been attempting to cross the Bialowieza Forest, the last remaining primeval forest in Europe. 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 northeastern Europe. Many refugees become trapped in the forest for extended periods, where they face extreme conditions such as a 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 the border, which involves being left in the woods on the Belarusian side at night without witnesses and with their phones destroyed to prevent communication with the outside world.
In July 2022, the Polish government completed the construction of a 183-kilometre wall along the border, which is 5.5 meters high and topped with razor wire. Its main objective is to prevent the entry of immigrants, but despite this, the migratory flows continue and the situation of the refugees in the Bialowieza Forest worsens.
In the forest, the border guards have installed a significant number of camera traps to monitor movement, making it challenging for refugees to move undetected. Moreover, access to medical assistance is being obstructed by both the border guards and soldiers and large organizations have not initiated any significant humanitarian activities in the area. Currently, only Doctors Without Borders employs three individuals on a part-time basis for medical aid, lacking a consistent presence typical of other border regions experiencing similar migration flows. Furthermore, the increasing military presence in the region exacerbates the situation, often impeding refugees' access to medical assistance, despite the efforts of Doctors Without Borders
In December 2023, a broad coalition came together to form a new government in Poland, bringing an end to eight years of extreme right-wing rule in the country. However, despite this change, migration policies appear to have remained unchanged, with ongoing violence and pushback persisting along this border.
See also photo captions with more information.
