Polish president Andrzej Duda has reportedly threatened to effectively close the Malaszewicze rail border crossing with Belarus. The crossing is key to China’s overland exports to Europe. By pressuring China, Duda hoped to stop Belarus’ orchestrated migrant flows into Polish territory.

According to Bloomberg, the Polish president used his late June visit to “link the issue of migration and freight transit on the Belarusian border.” Duda threatened to effectively close the rail border crossing. It would have cut off a key route for Chinese exports to Europe.

Reportedly, the flow of migrants coming into Poland from Belarus has shrunk by 70 per cent since the visit. Bloomberg writes that Poland has found a diplomatic pressure point to defend its interests. Belarusian dictator Lukashenka has been weaponising migrants as a way to cause unrest in Poland and the EU. The country helps them illegally cross the EU’s outer border.

Malaszewicze vital for China – Europe logistics

As a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the route through Belarus has become the primary funnel for Chinese goods exported to Europe overland, making it vital for China – Europe logistics. Upon return from his trip to China on 2 July, Duda announced that Poland would close the Malaszewicze border crossing for 33 hours. According to Poland’s foreign minister, the move “could be a factor” in the slowing of the migrant flows from Belarus.