"Saving Time and Stress": How Opening Border with Poland Solved Logistical Problems for Belarusians

Two border crossings – Berestovitsa (Bobrovniki) and Bruzi (Kuznya Belostotskaya) – have resumed operations on the Belarusian-Polish border. They were previously closed unilaterally at the initiative of the Polish side.

The first cars and buses bound for Poland entered the crossing after 1:30 AM to clear border and customs control on the Belarusian side, then headed out of Belarus. These were primarily passenger cars with Belarusian and European license plates and tourist buses. Vehicles also began entering from the Polish side of the crossing after 2:00 AM.

The crossing points continue to operate as usual. There are approximately 7-8 vehicles near the Bruzgi border crossing. But, most interestingly, no one is registered in the electronic queue. This suggests that everyone who registered in advance has already passed.

The number of vehicles that will pass through the checkpoints largely depends, of course, on the Polish side. Based on the pre-closure quota, the Bruzgi checkpoint handled approximately 1,500 vehicles. At Berestovitsa, the figure is 900 passenger cars and about 500 trucks. Many are in a good mood, as this has solved their logistical problem.

Trucks on the Belarusian-Polish border

"We live 12 km from the border, and we have relatives there. And today we're actually going to Greece for a competition with the sports federation, bringing athletes. We were worried about having to fly; we were considering going through Brest, but fortunately, they gave us priority there, so we decided to take the risk here," said a Belarusian woman.

How did people in line at the border react to the news of its reopening? One traveler said they were delighted by the news and were heading to Warsaw. She said they were thrilled that the border had finally reopened after four years and expressed hope that crossing the border would now be easier for citizens.

All respondents said roughly the same thing: for them, this is primarily a significant time savings. This is especially important for residents of Grodno, who no longer have to travel to Brest to enter Poland.

The Berestovitsa and Bruzgi checkpoints reopened on November 17 at 2:00 a.m., opening traffic in both directions. Currently, the border crossings continue to operate as normal.