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Céimin Burke reports from the Poland-Ukraine border
THINGS HAVE CHANGED at the small Polish border town of Medyka.
Over 50 days since Russia launched its massive offensive, women and children – often accompanied by pets – continue to stream across the border from Ukraine, bringing with them as much as they can carry.
Volunteers from all over the world offer blankets, food, medicine and transportation to the refugees fleeing Russia’s brutal invasion.
What’s different now though, is that there are as many – or almost as many – people going back, crossing the border in the other direction to return to their homes in Ukraine.
Both groups have different needs as they converge on Medyka, with huge organisations working on the ground – including a number of Irish workers – to help them.
The food and comforts for people leaving Ukraine are gratefully received but most of the travellers barely pause as they power on to the next stop on their journey.
As the temperature dropped late on Easter Sunday I saw a blanket bring a quiet sob from one woman who looked in physical pain from the cold. A rare crack of emotion and a brief break before the journey resumed.
“It’s definitely difficult to see it,” explained Jack from the UK, who is here working with an Italian NGO called Project Hope.
“You see people’s faces as they come in, carrying all that they’ve got on their backs, a few bags or a suitcase. They can be genuinely shivering. Sometimes they’ll have had to queue for seven hours.”
“But it’s also very nice to see so many people coming together, from so many different nationalities, to help a single cause.”
Jack joined friends from college in The Hague, The Netherlands, in running Project Hope’s operation in Medyka. Italian supermarkets donated truck loads of supplies and the group took on the mammoth task of piecing together a massive logistical operation to get it all distributed.
Manfredi Magnano from Catania and Ryan Bever from the US have been on the ground spearheading the operation for several weeks and they have seen a significant shift in the direction people are travelling.
“We’ve definitely seen a slowdown of refugees coming from Ukraine. It’s about half/half now: we see a lot more going back across the border, and also still a lot coming into Poland,” Bever explained.
The exodus has eased since early March, when over 25,000 people would file through the Medyka border crossing each day. But the camp remains very busy with the dramatic uptick in the numbers returning to Ukraine.
While the numbers arriving may have slowed, many are expecting them to increase again as the war develops.
The profile of volunteers has also shifted after the initial phase of the war passed and as authorities became more security conscious.
“When we came here at the beginning, a good half of the people here were independent people that just left everything and came here to help,” Manfredi said.
“They bought a high-vis vest, wrote ‘volunteering Ukraine’ on it and helped how they could. Now for security reasons, [and] organisational [reasons], they’ve cracked down and it’s more full-time organisations.”
Security has also been tightened at the reception centre – housed in a giant ex-Tesco building – in the nearby town of Przemyśl, which was the focus of media attention at the start of the refugee crisis.
American and British voices are regularly heard in the camp along with a plethora of European languages. Several of the tents put their religion or nationality front and centre. There is a strong Sikh presence and Polish, French and Israeli flags are also prominently on display.
One of the largest tents is run by the New Federal State of China, which is opposed to China’s ruling Communist Party. The heated marquee – which is festooned with posters attacking the Chinese government – is popular with passing Ukrainians and volunteers alike for its warmth, food and wifi (complete with a ‘TakedownCCP’ password).
Sure enough there’s Irish here too. Tim from Cork says he was moved to make the journey over after hearing about the scale of the crisis that was unfolding.
“When you get here the impact of it really hits home. There’s been four and a half million refugees and they’re being housed all over Europe. We’re all going to meet them at some point. You’re just moved by it,” he said.
At the border post for vehicles the queue of cars, vans and trucks travelling into Ukraine stretches out of sight, filling three lanes of traffic during the middle of the day.
Pavlo from Kyiv has become an expert on the traffic as, when I meet him by the other side of the motorway in the evening, he has been watching it for ten hours. He’s eagerly scanning for signs of a Subaru Forester, which is carrying his wife back across the border into Poland.
The couple happened to be on holiday in Paris when Vladimir Putin launched his assault on Ukraine. His wife travelled back to Ukraine, while Pavlo stayed in Poland.
A sales manager for Sennheiser in Kyiv before the war broke out, Pavlo and his family now see their future in Krakow, until hostilities cease.
“I don’t know when it will be. We don’t want to go back until it is safe. I never thought he could do it,” he says about the Russian President. “He is so crazy. It’s unbelievable.”
Just as I’m saying goodbye, the eagerly awaited Subaru arrives on the scene. Pavlo doesn’t hide his relief. “Ten hours,” he laughs. He hugs his wife. She smiles and waves. He offers to do the driving. They press on.
Céimin Burke will be reporting from the Poland-Ukraine border for The Journal all this week
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why do we need the EU to create laws for us
Can Irish Politicians not sit around a table in Leinster House and make our own laws
.. and make them even better than the EU Commission ones
Trouble is when our leaders sit round a table they end up either getting pissed or groping each other. Or both.
Yeah just look at the bollox we made of the abortion law!
I would assume it’s so what is a crime in one country is automatically a crime in another EU country. So if we have a counter-terrorism operation going and they go to another EU country that operation can automatically continue because it’s the same laws. Instead of having to make sure it’s considered terrorism in that other EU country. Or something like that.
I imagine the cross border legalities of counter-terror stuff is a real pain. I don’t see the issue in standardizing the stuff where possible.
why don’t they just sort out an extradition treaty between Norn Iron and the Sieth ?
but David ,
INTERPOL was established in 1923 to deal with such matters , 70 years before the EU was ever heard of.
Dave, Interpol is a notoriosly feeble organisation with very limited powers because most countries were unwilling to cede jurisdiction over much.
You talk about the EU like it is some foreign organisation. It is an organisation we are a member of and have representation in. All the member states have exactly one commissioner. All have representation in the parliament based on their populations. So stop trying to peddle the myth that it’s somebody else telling us what to do.
INTERPOL requires extensive negotiation though. That takes time.
They give us the money to run ourselves, so maybe thats why the make the laws!
and the EU is the same , they bullied the Irish People into ceding over more and more powers to foreign politicians.
Do you have examples, Dave?
Well most Irish people don’t seem to agree with you there Dave.
Dave, just peeked at your FB page, you seem to have big issues with non Irish people! I hope your offspring (if you have any) will marry one of these non Irish people!
L Connors ,
Before 1993 , (treaty on european union) , Irish People could create their own laws and decide on their own affairs , Irish -Politicians , directly elected by the Irish People used to sit around a table and produce laws for our Country .
Now , this is no longer , the EU Commission creates our laws for us , then the European Council and Parliament vote on them. these institutions are made up of mostly foreign politicians who we do not elect and who are not Irish .
we need to take our sovereignty back .
“we declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish Destines . To be Sovereign and Indefeasible” – 1916 proclamation
sounds good to me
Dave, you haven’t a clue! Have a look at this Oireachtas site and look at the legislation passed by the Dail. While some of it is to comply EU directives there are whole swathes their that we passed off our own accord.
I smell a Freeman whacko…
David
Stop peddling rubbish . Unless we have the same laws on our statute books as other EU members then the sort of people for whom these rules might apply can simply wander across borders within the Union at will and cannot be extradited.
When you grasp the simplicity of the above perhaps you would close down your computer or phone.
Richard ,
Extradition dates back to at least the 13th century BC, when an Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramesses II, negotiated an extradition treaty with a Hittite King, Hattusili III – wikipedia
the idea that such things can only happen within the EU which is only 21 years old is just brain teasing stuff
Dave, still waiting for those examples.
If I’d ave know all along it was legal, I would had set up my own terrorist camp long ago.
L Connors ,
the EU is a foreign organisation because no matter what country you live in , when an EU law comes to that country it will have been influenced mostly by politicians from other countries .
richard (walter mitty) rodgers.
You never miss a swipe do you.
Now be a good little troll and take your meds and leave the humans alone.
It’s time for Ireland to lead the way and set up a Celtic/ Viking Caliphate of oil and gas rich countries … What have the English or germans or French ever done for Ireland only totally attack our sovereignty !
To hell with the E.U. in its current form I say !
The E.U. is not even a specialised market anymore – just a thieving bullyboy raiding shower of ne’er do wells in my current opinion !
Dave
More garbage. With membership of the EU comes the right to move freely across its borders and extradition can only be effected if similar legislation is on each Member States Statute books. Any other approach would be an administrative nightmare and the costs associated with legal challenges would be extremely high.
Whoa, hold on there just a second! You mean that, as things stand, it’s perfectly legal in this country to recruit terrorists and train them? Presumably if you don’t advertise the position or you’re prospective “Bin Laden” is fully trained that’s you screwed??? You couldn’t make this stuff up.
@dermott they paid for your roads, your infrastructure, gave you the language you communicate in, the cars you drive, and probably are home the the premiership team you shout for on the foreign tv channel you watch.
Dave do you think there is the EU then Ireland you do know we are part of the EU lets hope they step in and sort out the abortion law its about time Irish Woman and female visitors to the state have the same options as female’s in other EU countries
“Richard Rodgers” – You as an expert on everything that goes on in OUR lives in Ireland – Can you confirm please what contribution do you make as regards paying Taxes in Ireland ?
What Jobs do you provide in Ireland ?
Do you do your Banking in Ireland ?
- I’m aware that the answer to those 3 Questions is a big Fat NO !
Equally , you are well able to put us all in our little boxes , while you preach your Fine Gael Blueshirt rightwing Bull at us constantly !
Equally, you lecture us on our choices of who we might vote for and you constantly ignore that the GFA actually came about !
A classical Redmondite – are you related to that other one in your Party – John Bruton ?
Answers please on the back of an envelope ???????
I have a japanese car, a Japanese computer with an Irish processor, the roads I drive were there when I was born and are on maps stretching back centuries, agus is iad cill iomar dalaigh agus gaillimh na foirne a bfhuil aon laghad agam ar !
What was your point again Padraig ..oh roads no Europe didn’t give them they are tolled by private companies , our water is trying to be stolen ..ha, ha,ha,ha,ha … and what else oh ..my local airport is closed so …
We had a TD’s grabbing another onto his lap on a very serious debate on abortion he looked pissed
Is playing rebel songs in public banned under this ?
Public provocation to commit a terrorist offence
Recruitment for terrorism
Training for terrorism
Ok now define the above so that people can understand it.
Joseph
The Legislation will define the meaning of the Act as is the case in each and every aspect of our Statute . Surely you knew this before it had to be pointed out to you!
Oh dear rodgers, you really can’t help it can you.
Richard while we have you – have you ever bought Irish bonds and if so did you buy them when they were at an all-time low and then sell them when their value was fully realised by the foreign Troika and placed on our National debt by a Finance Minister who attended Bilderberg some Time ago ?
The only terrorists we have are in the financial sector
You wont be seeing any legislation passed for them boyos though
Oh we already have legislation passed for them ”gambling debts? you have gambling debts? you poor pet, lets take those off you and give them to the taxpayer … no no it’s 3am we can’t have a cabinet meeting now just AGREE to it!!”
We’ll need to be much more aware of terrorism with some of our newer citizens. There was already that whole Jihad Jane training cell thing in Waterford.
John Bransfield – That’s a strange comment from you a chara !
You were on a blog last night defending War Crimes and Genocide by Israel and now you are defending the rule of law in Ireland ?
Irish people are globally famous for terrorism and you want to totally unfairly cast aspersions on new Irish citizens? Bit rich.
Thousands of Irish people have been involved in terrorism all over the world. None of them have been new Irish.
Thousands of Irish have been involved in terrorism all over the world??? Enlighten me as to who and where all these terrorists were active. There were a couple of dozen republicans active in the UK, US and mainland Europe with several more in random places during the Troubles (terrorists to some but not to others). Is this who you are on about or are you talking about Irish citizens who go off fighting in foreign wars with foreign armies?
Thousands of Irish people have been involved in terrorism in Ireland and the UK. The IRA also had links in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America over the years. Bought weapons in the Balkans, smuggled with ETA, and trained the FARC at times. Irish people have always emigrated all over the world.
So there weren’t thousands of them all over the world, what you meant to say was the IRA had links to organisations located around the world, big difference don’t you think?
Fear…. what about the war crimes and terrorism committed by Hamas? … or are they exempt from the law?
There were thousands of Irish people involved in terrorism.
There were Irish people involved in terrorism all over the world.
Simple enough?
Great timing I must say haha!
Who’s afraid of the big bad truth , the big bad truth , the big bad truth …ha,ha, ha,ha ..
Are you beginning to see why the barracks were closed down now P. ?
The very funniest thing about it is that there isn’t a terrorist on the planet using the internet since the name Edward Snowden became famous !
They are using the internet, just not sending emails any more. The new way is to have one email account which everyone has the password for and then they just save messages in drafts. Any one can log in anywhere in the world and read and leave messages without actually transmitting them
Why only ‘up to 10 years’, who comes up with these lengths of time?
Fragrant Francis Fitzgerald is no more a Justice Minister than the last lad, the girl is more interested in high heels than high standards.
Allowing US Aircraft to refuel in Shannon is allowing a country that openly supports terrorism in the middle east use out national facilities.
Can the Government put an end to this while they are at it.
@Ablitive – I have no problem deciding what side I’m on when it comes to the choice between defending The West or defending the Islamo-Fascists – seems you are having a problem deciding which side you are on.
I trust the law will be so worded as to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood recruitment operation run from Clonskeagh Mosque, and to deny / remove Irish passports from terrorists and those who aid them. We can start by ensuring the pup in the Cairo prison cannot use an Irish passport as a flag of convince.
E=mc2…… Well said
I’d like to see their ideology stopped in its tracks and their influence contained, but the Muslim Brotherhood isn’t a terrorist organisation. They’re vile and they believe in atrocious things, but they’re not a terrorist organisation.
Danny, that’s why it is important that the wording of the law be sufficiently broad, it has to deal with theses evil people who may not be neatly defined as terrorists but have moved into our society and wish to change it to something similar to what they ran from. We have just recently shaken-off the shackles of the Catholic Church and must never again let any political/religious cause gain any influence on the policies of our comparatively free and fair land.
Tony Blair may have some problems on his next visit to Ireland so.
He’s a war criminal rather than a terrorist.
Here’s an idea silly government – ask yourselves who and how has transferred 500 million to Nigeria in the last few years …or is that too difficult to understand ?
@ Dermot Ryan
Its €500M+ per year in personal remittances – a very serious investigation needs to be carried out.
At worst its illicit earnings from crime or funding crime and at best it calls into question the entitlement to public housing for many Nigerians (which WE pay for out of our taxes).
It would be interesting to see the wording of these laws will it be the case that if the people rise up against their government they will be terrorists. Be carefully what u wish for it seems they just want to take more and more liberties away
Good. .. Now perhaps the police will arrest some of those monsters promoting and celebrating the vile poison that is Islamic State? …
There I was thinking that she burned the candle at both ends to prepare this legislation. And how busy she was since going into office.
It was just a cut and paste operation.
I guess Israel is the elephant in the room when it comes to the subject of terrorism outside of our country.
# Why isn’t the Israeli Ambassador expelled.
It should be illegal to train or recruit politicians so. They are who I am worried about.
Right so the idea of punishment for a crime is to deter other potential criminals, protect the public and reform the criminal… and so the punishment for recruiting and training terrorists to commit atrocities is a maximum ten years??
Those who are likely to commit these offences are incredibly unlikely to be reformed, even during the maximum prison term in the new legislation. Setting a maximum prison term for terrorist offences seems to be a dodgy call.
Imagine the recruitment opportunities in a prison
Yep. Guidelines for how to prevent that opportunity arising and how to prevent further radicalisation in prison is a must.
How about if you go abroad to fight for terrorist armies? Will you be arrested and tried and jailed if found guilty on your return? Once someone is radicalised and has been fighting even murdering we can’t have them coming back into our society . Do we have to wait until they try to recruit or spread their evil message to have them arrested ? How about paying for any crimes they commit fighting for these illegal organizations? They can’t come back here and get off scot free . Is there any law to address this or any proposed law?
How is this new? How slow can our politicians possibly be?
Define terrorism?
This is dangerous ground.
Very dangerous ground.
Anyone that disagree’s with a corrupt Govt or corrupt law can be classed a terrorist.
The right to protest can be classed as recruiting other terrorists.
Be very, very afraid everyone.
Our Govt is up to no good.
It is going to actually create freedom fighters to get rid of them.
Nothing in there about financial terrorism? The ECB and their bondholder buddies and their Irish lapdogs will kill more people here than any Koran mumbling peasant.
What if they’re taken on under the Jobs Bridge scheme?
What is a “terrorist”? Can someone clarify please?
Workers in Shannon will end up in mount joy
It’s a pity we don’t copy and paste most English laws. We pay our politicians(so called legislators ) to make our laws and they screw it up 90% of the time. The cost is huge and even greater because it needs to be done in Isaiah as well.this means it can be interpreted differently in 2 2 languages. No end to the costs and time wasted. Let’s start to cut and paste. The poor women who needed an abortion was denied and will sue the state.
So guest speakers speeches in the mosque in Clonskeagh are going to be monitored ?
About time, it’ll certainly be needed before long, judging by the amount of Islamic fundamentalists the Irish government have invited in over the past two decades.
What a small problem to tackle in a country that needs real attention to significant major problems. What next ?a bill to stop jaywalking must be very high on her agenda to bring justice to the majority or a ban on chewing gum litter.
The ironic thing is these hypocrites will parade themselves at centre stage during the 1916 commemorations. Celebrating “heroes” who today would be classified as “terrorists”.
So are we to assume the Tipp forwards are to be lifted for terrorising Cork last Sunday ?Along with their managment team ?
Hopefully recruitment of terrorists doesn’t affect any political party’s membership drives.
That’s Sinn Fein fecked then.
Damned government, always stifling entrepreneurialism
Big trouble for staff at Shannon airfield
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Unbelievable. Isn’t it clear to all that governments are tightening control of the masses by seizing on these atrocities by way of a plausible excuse that nobody can argue with or oppose? The U.S. creation of “terrorism” as the uniquitous enemy to take over from Red under the Beds is designed to do just that. The bankers must have their pound of flesh and only by total control of the population can this be guaranteed. Who are the ‘terrorists’ to the harassed people of Iraq and Afghanistan? Who trained them? Ireland has been supplying troops to aid Obama’s oil-driven campaign in Afghanistan since 2002. Well over half a million US troops have passed through Shannon on the way to and from Iraq and Afghanistan. All hushed up by both government and its media lackeys. Neutral Ireland has trashed every single proposed law and those already in existence that it cites as necessary to stop ‘terrorism’ because it is irrefutably guilty of breaking them all. The Dail should march to the nearest police station en masse and turn themselves in.
errrr…a little bit taken aback that we don’t already have something like this in place given our history. I mean, why do we have a special criminal court?
Will really have to brush up on Irish Law.
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