The border has been a flashpoint since migrants started flocking there in 2021, after Belarus, a close Russian ally, reportedly opened travel agencies in the Middle East to offer a new unofficial route into Europe - a move the European Union said was designed to create a crisis.

The zone, which restricts access to a 56-kilometer stretch of the border in the eastern Podlaskie province, was initially introduced for 90 days to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

On Tuesday, Poland's Interior Minister announced that the exclusion zone will be extended by another 90 days.

In a report released the same day, the Interior Ministry said: “The regulations in place so far have demonstrated that the exclusion zone is fulfilling its task.”

The report added that from June 13 to September 9, the Border Guard recorded 6,130 illegal border crossing attempts from Belarus, a sharp decline from the 17,030 attempts during the same period before the zone was implemented.

Additionally, 71 human trafficking couriers were arrested during this time by the Border Guard.

According to the ministry, the exclusion zone limits “the presence of bystanders in the area of official activities,” to guarantee “the safety of bystanders as well as officers.”

“The exclusion zone also reduces the activity of smuggling groups that facilitate illegal migration.”

After Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the introduction of the buffer zone, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFPC) published an open letter on June 11 signed by 15 other human rights organizations drawing attention to the illegality of the buffer zone.