Germany boosts security forces at border with Poland

Authorities announced the deployment of hundreds of additional police officers to the border, while a government official said Berlin is willing to increase more border controls.

Germany's Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told the Bildm Sonntag newspaper that 800 police officers have been sent to the border.

“if necessary, I am ready to order further reinforcements”, he said.

German police and how many have detained an armed group of about 50 extreme right-wing activists who had gone to the border to prevent migrants from entering Germany.

The far right radical group Third Street (Dar III. Weg had called for members to gather to take action against migrants who tried to cross the border from Poland.

The immigrant crisis is provoking Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alyaxasander Lucashenka.

European Union and member states officials have accused him of orchestrating the mining crisis to avenge Brussels due to imposed sanctions.

Sanctions have followed the violent crackdown on protesters in Belarus who oppose the 2020 presidential elections, which Lucashenka says has won, but the opposition in this country, as well as Western countries do not recognise the result.

Michael Kretschmer, head of the German border state of Saxonia, blamed Lucas as the booster of the border crisis.

If we allow ourselves to be blackmailed by such a person, then we as the European Union are not worth”, he said.

German authorities estimate that about 5,000 illegal immigrants have entered through Poland and Belarus in the last three months.

They said most undocumented migrants are from Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Iran.

Poland has proposed building a $410m wall at its Belarus border to stop the immigrants from entering.

Asked about such a border structure, Seehofer told the paper that “is legitimate for us to protect the external border in order to prevent illegal border crossings”.

Seehofer has proposed to his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Kaminski, that the two countries increase joint patrols along the border.

On the other hand, Kaminski offered Poland's “full support”.

Germany currently has no plans to close the border with Poland. / REL/