On 24 December, President Karol Nawrocki travelled to Poland’s Podlasie region to share Christmas-Eve supper with soldiers of Task Force “North” and Border-Guard officers deployed along the Polish-Belarusian frontier. The visit, his first to the area since last spring’s flare-up in migrant crossings, included inspections of mobile observation posts, thermal-imaging towers and newly fortified anti-vehicle barriers.
Speaking to service members, the President acknowledged that “freedom must be defended when war is close by” and reiterated the government’s pledge to maintain a 5 %-of-GDP defence budget. Since 2021, more than 3,000 soldiers augment Border Guard patrols under Operation “Safe Podlasie,” aimed at deterring organised people-smuggling facilitated by Belarusian security forces.
![President Nawrocki Spends Christmas Eve With Border Troops, Signals Continued Military Support for Migration Patrols]()
Mobility implications: • The military-civil mission allows Poland to keep the crucial Kuźnica and Bobrowniki road crossings open for legitimate freight, but randomised checks remain common; logistics managers should pad schedules by 1-2 hours. • Employers relocating staff into the Suwałki, Białystok or Hajnówka districts should advise them to carry passports rather than national ID cards, as soldiers have limited authority to verify EU IDs.
Travelers who need clarity on visa requirements for entry into Poland or transit through neighbouring states can streamline applications via VisaHQ’s digital portal; the service provides tailored checklists, courier options and real-time tracking for everything from Schengen short-stay visas to long-term work permits—full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
Regional context: Lithuania and Latvia have similar troop deployments on their borders with Belarus, and the three countries exchange real-time sensor feeds. The President’s high-profile visit underscores Warsaw’s political resolve to continue the joint security posture into 2026.
Speaking to service members, the President acknowledged that “freedom must be defended when war is close by” and reiterated the government’s pledge to maintain a 5 %-of-GDP defence budget. Since 2021, more than 3,000 soldiers augment Border Guard patrols under Operation “Safe Podlasie,” aimed at deterring organised people-smuggling facilitated by Belarusian security forces.
Mobility implications: • The military-civil mission allows Poland to keep the crucial Kuźnica and Bobrowniki road crossings open for legitimate freight, but randomised checks remain common; logistics managers should pad schedules by 1-2 hours. • Employers relocating staff into the Suwałki, Białystok or Hajnówka districts should advise them to carry passports rather than national ID cards, as soldiers have limited authority to verify EU IDs.
Travelers who need clarity on visa requirements for entry into Poland or transit through neighbouring states can streamline applications via VisaHQ’s digital portal; the service provides tailored checklists, courier options and real-time tracking for everything from Schengen short-stay visas to long-term work permits—full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
Regional context: Lithuania and Latvia have similar troop deployments on their borders with Belarus, and the three countries exchange real-time sensor feeds. The President’s high-profile visit underscores Warsaw’s political resolve to continue the joint security posture into 2026.
