Poland’s Border Guard has uncovered a 1.5-metre-high tunnel near Narewka that allowed at least 180 migrants to enter from Belarus. Integrated vibration sensors along the 180-km steel fence triggered an alarm in the early hours of 13 December; rapid-response units detained 130 people on site and arrested two suspected facilitators—a Polish national and a Lithuanian driver. It is the fourth such tunnel found in 2025, confirming that smuggling networks are literally going underground.
Warsaw reacted by allocating €18 million in emergency funds for ground-penetrating radar, AI-driven acoustic arrays and additional heat-seeking drones. A mobile command centre in Hajnówka will fuse data from the new sensors with existing camera towers. The Interior Ministry says the kit should be operational before the peak winter crossing season and will eventually integrate with EUROSUR, the EU’s external-border surveillance system.
![Smuggling tunnel discovery prompts €18 m tech surge on Belarus border]()
Amid this fast-evolving security landscape, VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can help travellers and corporate mobility teams keep pace with shifting entry rules by flagging new documentation requirements in real time, arranging courier pickup of passports, and expediting any necessary visas or residence permits. Its alert service is especially valuable for firms rotating staff across multiple EU borders, allowing trips to remain on schedule despite sudden policy tweaks.
For corporate security and mobility managers, the news means tighter document checks and possible road closures on the S8 corridor and rail lines serving the Małaszewicze dry port. Logistics firms are advised to build transit buffers and prepare contingency routes, as search operations for remaining migrants continue. NGOs warn of worsening humanitarian conditions as temperatures fall below zero, increasing the likelihood of additional emergency measures such as curfews.
Longer term, Poland’s high-tech push could set a precedent for other EU frontier states, shifting the focus from physical barriers to underground and aerial detection. Companies rotating staff between Poland and the Baltics should keep abreast of evolving inspection regimes and ensure travellers carry full supporting documentation, including accommodation confirmations and insurance, to avoid secondary screening delays.
Warsaw reacted by allocating €18 million in emergency funds for ground-penetrating radar, AI-driven acoustic arrays and additional heat-seeking drones. A mobile command centre in Hajnówka will fuse data from the new sensors with existing camera towers. The Interior Ministry says the kit should be operational before the peak winter crossing season and will eventually integrate with EUROSUR, the EU’s external-border surveillance system.
Amid this fast-evolving security landscape, VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can help travellers and corporate mobility teams keep pace with shifting entry rules by flagging new documentation requirements in real time, arranging courier pickup of passports, and expediting any necessary visas or residence permits. Its alert service is especially valuable for firms rotating staff across multiple EU borders, allowing trips to remain on schedule despite sudden policy tweaks.
For corporate security and mobility managers, the news means tighter document checks and possible road closures on the S8 corridor and rail lines serving the Małaszewicze dry port. Logistics firms are advised to build transit buffers and prepare contingency routes, as search operations for remaining migrants continue. NGOs warn of worsening humanitarian conditions as temperatures fall below zero, increasing the likelihood of additional emergency measures such as curfews.
Longer term, Poland’s high-tech push could set a precedent for other EU frontier states, shifting the focus from physical barriers to underground and aerial detection. Companies rotating staff between Poland and the Baltics should keep abreast of evolving inspection regimes and ensure travellers carry full supporting documentation, including accommodation confirmations and insurance, to avoid secondary screening delays.
