The case of Poland
In the summer of 2021, a humanitarian crisis emerged at the Polish-Belarusian border, marked by a sharp increase in the number of people on the move attempting to cross the border in search of protection in Poland from countries such as Syria, Eritrea and Iraq. In early 2022, another crisis unfolded at the Polish-Ukrainian border, as millions fled the war in Ukraine, seeking protection in Poland and in other countries.
This report looks at how local organisations and aid workers (including volunteer groups, grassroots organisations, activist groups, and individual citizens) organised the provision of aid differently depending on what border they operated at. The research looked at the extent to which the two responses differed during the period between 2021 and 2024, investigating the potential implications for the quality and credibility of humanitarian responses in different contexts, but in the same country.
By looking at both responses, the research also poses crucial questions regarding the ability of international organisations to uphold humanitarian principles in all crises, even when access and mandate are denied.