———- Forwarded message ———
De : Nidzara nidzara.ah@gmail.com
Immigration detention facilities in Greece are often hidden from public
view – a 3D modelling project brings new ways of documenting these spaces
of confinement
*Nidžara Ahmetašević + 387 (0) 61 493 708 (Viber, Signal and Whatsapp)*
*Author “**The Media as a Tool of International Intervention:
of Cards
Routledge.*
https://authors.taylorandfrancis.com/dashboard/
https://www.clippings.me/nidzara https://www.clippings.me/nidzara
https://muckrack.com/nidzara-ahmetasevic-1
*Instagram @nidzaraah / **Twitter @AhNidzara *
———- Forwarded message ———
From: We Are Monitoring dane@wearemonitoring.org.pl
Date: Fri, Feb 20, 2026 at 12:09 PM
Subject: Podsumowanie stycznia 2026 na granicy polsko-białoruskiej / A
summary of events at the Polish–Belarusian border in January 2026
New Year, new us! We’re back in 2026 in a slightly different form.
This is important. We’re all in this together.
*New Year, new us! We’re back in 2026 in a slightly different form. Our
monthly quantitative summaries are still available at our website - we will
link them here too.*
Above all, we wanted to share the perspectives and impressions of those
travelling through the Belarus–Poland border. Their experiences and their
own words describing the reality of winter in Belarus can be found in the
latter part of the report.
Because this is our first adventure with a newsletter format, we would
appreciate any feedback! Let us know if you like or dislike something or if
something’s missing. As always, we are waiting for your messages at
dane@wearemonitoring.org.pl
Report in Polish
Report in English
I applied for asylum in Belarus through the UNHCR. The first time, at the
immigration office, they practically threw my passport in my face. The
second time, a woman helped me write a letter and told me I would receive a
response within two weeks, but two weeks have passed, I haven’t received
any response, and my passport is being held by immigration because my visa
has expired.
Excerpt from a conversation with a man from Burundi
January 2026 brought requests from 36 people. At the time of contact 31 of
them were in Belarus - mostly in Minsk. Eight women and three children,
including one unaccompanied, were amongst them. Accounts gathered here
mostly come from people who were forced to survive this cold winter in
Belarusian cities. These reports consistently indicate a lack of access to
asylum procedures, legal assistance, and safe shelter, as well as the
imposition of coercive fees for administrative services such as the
issuance of a birth certificate. While violence and abuse affect everyone,
they disproportionately impact women and unaccompanied children.
I am Guinean. I have an 8-year-old child. We have been in Belarus for a
year and a month. […] My child has a disability on the right side of his
ear and is very sickly; he has sinusitis. I also have a vision problem
because my ex-husband beat me so badly that he left a defect in my eye and
my head. […] I cannot go home because his father will take him from me.
Excerpt from a conversation with a woman from Guinea
I have a child, a two-month-old daughter. I’m in Belarus. At the hospital,
they refused to give me the birth certificate. I still [can’t] get my
daughter vaccinated. I wanted you to help me leave because I’m afraid my
daughter will get sick, and I don’t see how I can get her medical care.
[…] I don’t know anyone there. Even in Poland, we tried to find help, but
we didn’t find any. We’ve been trying since August, and we still haven’t
found any help. […] We are suffering a lot here in Belarus. Since I was
pregnant, I started looking for asylum, but I haven’t found anything. As
you know, here in Belarus, there might be nothing. […]I’m Burundian, and
so is my husband. We’re together at the hospital. He asked for money for
treatment so they would give it to us. The birth certificate cost $2400,
and I tried speaking with the UNHCR, and they also told me that he’s not
working now.
Excerpt from a conversation with a woman from Burundi,
who was at the time in one of the Belarusian hospitals together with her
husband and baby
Most people report being unable to cover the often inflated costs of
accommodation, food, and medical care. They also frequently express fear
regarding organized detentions conducted by the authorities and the forced
transfers to the Russian border.
If the neighbors report us, the security forces will come and arrest us and
then deport us to the Russian border.
Excerpt from a conversation
with a man from Chad
I have been caught by the police, spent three days in jail and been dumped
at the Russian border. That’s why I was lost.
Excerpt from a conversation
with a man of unknown nationality
Four individuals reported having experienced pushbacks from Poland to
Belarus. Some of them explicitly identified severe beatings by Polish
authorities as the direct cause of their subsequent health problems.
I went into the forests and entered Poland, where I was severely beaten on
the head by border guards. Since then, I’ve had constant headaches,
dizziness, and impaired vision. […] I was inside Polish territory and was
thrown out after being severely beaten by the Polish authorities. […] We
suffered a lot at the border. I received two strong blows to the head, one
from the front as shown in the picture, and another from the back which was
very strong and is what is causing my headache. I didn’t lose
consciousness, but after the second blow to my head, I couldn’t see for a
few seconds. I had been wearing glasses for several years, but after being
hit on the head, I couldn’t see well while wearing them. I was vomiting in
the first few days and now I feel nauseous at times. I was also subjected
to electric shocks from border elements on various parts of my body.
Excerpt from a conversation with a man from Chad
According to data provided by the Polish Border Guard under public access
to information regulation, Border Guard officers carried out three
pushbacks in January.
I couldn’t express myself. They tortured and beat me on my last attempt.
[…] We were tortured. All our money was taken. Our phones were taken.
There’s no way we can survive. It’s over. I hope this is over and that you
found us. I hope my brother and I don’t die on the way because we’ve been
beaten, robbed, and worked, but we haven’t received any money and we can’t
get out of here. It’s over. We’ll die trying.
Excerpt from a conversation with a man from Sudan
Eight individuals, including one unaccompanied child and two women,
reported experiencing violence perpetrated by Belarusian authorities. At
least two of these individuals were subjected to sexual violence during
their journey.
I was sexually assaulted by masked Belarusians and I need a doctor now.
[…] I am now with a group of Afghans and Sudanese… I also heard a
girl’s voice in a small cave in the forbidden Belarusian forests; she was
also being raped.
Excerpt from a conversation with an Iraqi man residing in Lithuania.
We decided not to publish the graphic description of the consequences of
sexual violence
With the tax period approaching, we’d like to make sure you know that
people who pay taxes in Poland can support us by donating 1.5% of their
tax. Last year, thanks to your donations, we raised almost 4,000 PLN 🧡
Please remember to indicate the specific purpose in your tax return - only
then the funds will reach us. Thanks again!
ON OUR RADAR
We recommend the latest report Border Violence Monitoring Network - December
2025
READ THE REPORT
Podcast Invisible Borders shows how electronic surveillance technologies
are being used at the external borders of the EU.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Stop the Detention of Children – Petition to Protect Children’s Rights
Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej
SIGN THE PETITION
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