Poland to Send 2,000 Troops to Belarus Border

An additional 2,000 troops will be sent to the Poland-Belarus border amid a recent influx of illegal immigrants, Polish Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik said.

The Polish border guard requested 1,000 troops earlier this week as reinforcements to the 2,000 soldiers already deployed at the border.

Wasik told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Wednesday that the troops are expected at the border within the next two weeks.

He also said the situation puts a strain on Poland's relations with Belarus. "If there were real border guards on the other side, instead of smuggling services, these crossings would not happen at all," he told the PAP.