The current crisis on the Polish-Belarus border is a multidimensional crisis; onthe one hand, a political crisis that has complicated relations between the EU andBelarus, prompting further sanctions, and on the other hand, a humanitarian crisiswhere thousands of migrants have been stuck in the forests on the border facingincreasingly dire conditions. The political stalemate exacerbated thehumanitarian crisis with both countries attempting to push migrants back over theborder. The inability for the authorities to address the humanitarian issues has ledto activists and civilians on the border supplying needed medical assistance andsupplies. The role civilians and activists play in migration is an often underdiscussed topic in migration research, with much more attention being paid to therole of the state. In our discussion, with representatives from both Poland andBelarus, we will examine the role regular citizens have been playing in the bordercrisis and how their actions influenced that of the state. In addition, from thefirst-hand accounts of our activists, we will compare the media portrayal of themigrants to the situation on the ground.

Panelists:
Dr. Lidia Zessin-Jurek (Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder))
Katarzyna Staszewa (Grupa Granica)
A lawyer from the NGO "Human Constanta"

Host: Nadja Sieffert (Junge DGO)