Monitoring Deaths of People on The Move on the Polish-Belarusian Border – Methodological Summary

Due to the urgent need to monitor and document violence at the Polish-Belarusian border, we have formed the Border Death Monitoring Team. Our focus is the registration and documentation of deaths among people on the move. The work of monitoring deaths at the Polish-Belarusian border primarily serves to preserve the memory of those who did not reach their intended destination.

The list has been compiled to serve the needs of media, NGOs, and activist groups. Published data respects the wishes of the families of the deceased. We believe that the archive we are creating will not only serve as testimony to the violence at the EU’s external borders but will also be a significant resource for advocacy and legal actions within our established ethical framework.

Cases of deaths included on the list

The public list includes all known victims of the border regimes of Poland (also as an EU member state) and Belarus—people who died along the East European route at the Polish-Belarusian border, on both sides. Deaths of individuals who passed away outside these areas but whose deaths are related to crossing the border are considered individually to avoid arbitrary inclusion or exclusion.

The list is updated regularly—not only with recent deaths but also as we receive information about those who died in previous months or even years, dating back to the start of the humanitarian crisis (2021). Thus, it is not the exact number of deceased that is critical in the discussion of the border situation, but rather the fact that establishing this number is nearly impossible. Currently, we report the deaths we have learned about, while recognizing that any reported number is likely an underestimate and arbitrary. We strive to make the list a testimony in itself, bearing witness to the violence. We hope that it will not only help preserve the memory of those who died at the border but also provide a basis for legal accountability of those responsible for the deaths of dozens of people.

Data Sources

Our chosen methodology aims to commemorate the deaths of those overlooked in official reports. Given the need of people on the move to travel clandestinely, it is often impossible for the authorities to locate the bodies of deceased individuals.

The data on border deaths comes from the following sources:

1. Deaths Documented by Authorities

This category includes deaths identified and registered by state authorities, with data obtained through official requests to institutions such as prosecutors, police, border guards, and healthcare facilities. It also includes press releases and official statements from the authorities of Poland, Belarus, and the home countries of those who died at the border. This data is supplemented by information obtained from activist groups and journalistic investigations of officially confirmed deaths.

An important source of information is the Belarusian Border Committee (GPK). However, we are aware that GPK reports deaths at the Polish border selectively, instrumentalizing the suffering of the deceased and their companions for political purposes. We approach GPK’s information about causes of death and other details with caution, focusing on basic data such as biological sex, age, and nationality. We believe the actual number of deaths on the Belarusian side is higher than what is reported by Belarusian sources, as support groups and people in transit have recorded deaths not reported in Belarusian media. Despite the propagandistic nature of GPK’s reports, we accept the fact of each reported death as true.

2. Reported Deaths Based on Verified Testimonies

This category includes deaths reported by companions of the deceased or their families, verified by activist groups or journalistic investigations. Without independent monitoring organizations on the Belarusian side, physical verification of these reports is not possible. In such cases, we rely on accounts substantiated by additional materials such as photographs, personal details, and detailed descriptions of the circumstances of death. However, without state authority confirmation through the discovery and identification of the body, the death cannot be definitively confirmed, though it has been documented or made plausible.

We make every effort to verify the information we receive, but as non-governmental and grassroots organizations, we lack the tools for regular, in-depth investigations. Such resources are available to state institutions.

Ethical Considerations and Publication Guidelines

Data Anonymization

The names of the deceased are provided on the list where we know the family has consented to public disclosure. Otherwise, individuals are described as “identity unknown” (if the family could not be contacted) or “identity withheld at family’s request.” Some names marked as “identity withheld at family’s request” may already be known to the public through media, but we ask for respect for the families’ wishes and not to circulate restricted information.

Terminology

Muharrama (Arabic: forbidden) – Arabic-speaking people on the move use this term for the strip of land between the Polish border barrier and Belarusian fortifications. In Arabic, muharrama means “forbidden.” They also refer to this area as المحرمة المنطقة, meaning “forbidden zone.”

Border regime refers to the formal and informal procedures and rules governing people crossing or attempting to cross the border irregularly. Border control, securitization, and militarization play a significant role in victimizing those in transit and extend beyond immediate border areas.

If you are aware of any death related to the Polish-Belarusian border not included on this list, please contact us. For that and any questions about the list or individual deaths at the border, please reach out via email: borderdeaths@wearemonitoring.org.pl