Ocalenie at the border
On the Polish-Belarusian border, human rights violations are a daily occurrence. We have been there since the beginning of the crisis, because we believe that a secure border is one where no one dies. We have opened a temporary headquarters for our foundation on the spot. We use all the knowledge and experience of more than 20 years of operation. We provide humanitarian and legal assistance to people on the move, conduct monitoring and publicize the case. After returning from the border, we conduct advocacy, because no one deserves to die in the woods, and we have the right to asylum enshrined in the Constitution!
Together with a group of trained volunteers, we try to reach men, women and children who need help before the services do. We try to prevent pushbacks and protect people on the move from violence. To ensure the safety of our clients in the forest, we are constantly improving our safety procedures and standards. We participate in supervisions and additional training.
Watch our video “Red Light” about a Syrian who returned to Podlasie as a volunteer
We believe that our role as people directly participating in and observing the crisis on the border is to bear witness. We want the public to know what is happening on the Polish-Belarusian border and not look away from the harsh reality. That’s why we cooperate with media outlets willing to pursue material from the border, and issue our own reports:
It doesn’t matter to us who is currently in power, and we punctuate every political faction that contributes to human rights violations and the deaths of innocent people with the same commitment. That’s why we are only able to maintain our base at the border thanks to donations from people who care as much as we do about protecting people on the move.