Hanna Jarzabek

PHOTOGRAPHY

Y.K. a 25-year-old engineer from Syria, had been hiding in the strict reserve of the Bialowieza Forest for several days, which was a highly inaccessible location. I accompanied two volunteers, one of whom was a doctor, to assist him. To reach the hideout, we had to trek 7 kilometers through the forest, navigating obstacles such as fallen trees and treacherous swamps, which posed even greater risks during the winter. It took us 3 hours to reach Y.K.'s location. Upon arrival, we discovered that he was in a critical condition and unable to move on his own. Due to his extremely wet and filthy clothing, exacerbating his hypothermia, we had to change his garments. After two hours of medical care, the accompanying doctor determined that we should call for an ambulance, even if it meant involving the Border Guards.

Y.K. was incapable of remaining in that place and lacked the strength to walk by himself. Our priority was to transport him to a dry and warm location to alleviate his hypothermia. We remained in the forest with him for a total of 7 hours, enduring plummeting temperatures of -11 degrees Celsius. In this time of the year, darkness descends as early as 3 p.m. I was the sole person with phone coverage, and we had depleted our supply of hot tea and food. As mandated by law, the emergency center contacted the Border Guards, who made repeated calls inquiring about our coordinates. Despite providing them with the exact location, they called multiple times claiming they couldn't locate us. At 6:30 p.m., the firefighters arrived, accompanied by the Border Guards. Initially, they interrogated us, and we had to persistently emphasize the life-threatening condition of Y.K. and the urgency of extricating him from the forest immediately. Finally, at 8:00 p.m., the firefighters successfully evacuated him and placed him in the Border Guards' vehicle. According to the latter, the difficult terrain prevented the ambulance from reaching our position. The doctor who had accompanied us insisted on accompanying Y.K. in the vehicle for precautionary reasons, but the Border Guards denied her access. Consequently, we had to make the arduous journey back to the village alone, walking for an additional 3 hours in the darkness. As we departed, the Border Guards callously joked about whether they should call an ambulance for us.

Akram (32, Yemen, an oncologist) and Mohammad (50, Syria) met on the road. When we found them, they had been in the forest for 5 months. The first question Akram asked us was: "Can you take us with you?" We had to explain to him that we couldn't do it and that transporting them in a car could cost us 8 years in prison for human trafficking. Both were exhausted, Mohammad told us that they had not had drinking water for several days. They drank what they found in the swamps, filtering it through a scarf. At one point I asked Mohammad where he wanted to go, whether he wanted to try to claim asylum in Poland or go to another country. He looked at me and said, "I don't care. I just don't want to die here, you know?"

When the volunteers received their request for help, it was already a night. Night interventions are usually even more complicated because there is more risk of being discovered. This time I accompanied two volunteers, one of whom knew the terrain relatively well. In general at night the volunteers move in the dark and only if necessary they use very low intensity headlamps. Going towards the refugee hideout, at one point we heard a car and one of us saw lights in the distance. At this time in the middle of the forest it could only be the Border Guard. We fall to the completely wet ground and hide our faces among the foliage, thinking that if they have thermo vision, we are lost. At this moment, it is no longer the question of what will happen to us but, if they find us, they will realize that there are some refugees nearby. The burden of responsibility at that moment is very heavy. You know that the people who called for help are there waiting for you and trusting you and the last thing you want is to expose them to a risk of pushback to the Belarusian side.

We had a hard time finding them but we finally got them. Then the typical thing begins: you try to collect as much informations as possible in less time, also paying attention not to speak loudly or put on too much light. We used only the light from headlamps but even so, Akram was clearly scared and was asking us all the time if we can turn it off. Sometimes the volunteers ask the refugees to sign a paper granting the power of attorney to the volunteers. Thanks to this paper, the volunteers can try to follow the situation in case a refugee is arrested. Otherwise, sometimes those who are arrested disappear without anyone being able to identify their destination. But on many occasions the Border Guards refuse to provide any information even if the volunteers have the signed legal power of attorney.

There are many things that are difficult in this type of intervention: the situation is surreal; the feeling of responsibility is combined with the one of impotence. But I think the most difficult thing is that at a given moment you have to get up and leave, leaving these people in the middle of the forest without knowing what will happen to them in the next few days. Akram and Mohamad called for more help the next day. Another team brought them more food and then they realized that Mohammad had a broken rib. According to my sources, some locals helped them cross a section of the forest and a few days later we found out that they were both safe in Germany.

Fatima applied for international protection, which had to be processed because she was able to sign a power of attorney at the hospital, authorizing volunteers to represent her case. According to reports from both refugees and volunteers, many requests for international protection are ignored by the Border Guard. However, when a representative submits an application on behalf of a refugee, it is documented,  increasing the chances of acceptance and transfer to the Office for Foreigners for consideration. This information comes from both refugees and volunteers who have experienced the process.

Ahmad, a 24-year-old physiotherapist, and Bayan, a 25-year-old who studied something related to medicine, originated from Syria. They crossed the border between Belarus and Poland for the first time, thus still being in good physical condition. Their clothes were damp because, as they explained to us in broken English, they had crossed the border by crossing a river. Ahmad mentioned that the water had reached up to their chests. Bayan was trembling upon our arrival and had to change clothes immediately. Their intention was not to stay in Poland; they aimed to reach Germany.

The majority of migrants do not wish to remain in Poland but rather hope to reach Germany or another European country. Generally, they arrive unprepared and unaware that, according to European law, they must seek asylum in the first European Union country they set foot in. Some individuals apply for asylum in Poland when apprehended by Border Guards, even though they are fully aware that they want to proceed to another country. Failure to do so results in the Border Guards pushing them back into the forest on the Belarusian side, thus forcing them to attempt crossing the border again. Consequently, some find themselves trapped in this situation for months, enduring numerous pushbacks, while exposed to extreme conditions, limited access to clean water and food, and during winter, facing a high risk of death from hypothermia.

Typically, when the refugees are not in critical condition and are relatively well, volunteers aim to spend as little time as possible in the forest, reducing the risk of attracting attention through noise or movement. During our brief time together, Ahmad expressed his gratitude profusely, even taking out small jars of perfume from his backpack that he had brought from his country, intending to give them to the people who had helped him along the way. As night began to fall, he became increasingly concerned about our return through the forest. It was one of those situations where you struggle to find the right response, realizing that the person who must stay there, sleeping in the forest and evading the Border Guards, is worried about your safe return to a warm home.

Mohammad came from Yemen to Russia and then to Minsk with his two friends, Khalid and Salim, both of whom  were 23 years old. They had been in the forest for two months and had already been pushed back to the Belarusian side twice by the Polish Border Guards. The first time, the Polish Border Guards smashed their phones and sprayed tear gas in their eyes. Khalid said he couldn't see anything for a couple of hours. This time, they crossed the border by climbing over the fence with a ladder and then slipping down the Polish side. The Belarusian guards attacked them, and Mohammad had marks on his head and eyes for a long time.

Despite the fact that a wall has been built and the forest is difficult to cross, this route is still considered the safest and easiest way to reach Europe. However, migrants often do not know what type of forest they will have to pass through and are not adequately prepared. Some call the forest "the jungle."

A. (25 years old, from Yemen, preferring to remain anonymous) attempted to cross the border with her brother and a friend. Unfortunately, she slipped off the fence and broke her leg in the process. Her brother attempted to carry her on his back but was unable to do so for an extended period. The group was apprehended by the Border Guards in the forest, and A. was taken to the hospital for medical treatment. It is likely that her brother and friend were pushed back to the Belarusian side.
At the hospital, A. had to undergo a complex operation due to the severity of her leg injury. She even required a blood transfusion, and according to the doctors, she will never fully regain use of her leg. Her ultimate destination was Norway, where her husband resides.