Michał Zieliński/PAP

The number of attempted illegal border crossings has dropped sharply following Poland’s and the Baltic states’ threat to close all their border crossings with Belarus, the Polish interior minister has said.

The threat was made on Monday following a meeting between Mariusz Kaminski, Poland’s minister of internal affairs, and his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

They also announced that if there was a critical incident on the borders of Poland, Lithuania or Latvia with Belarus, they would close all border crossings.

On Friday, Kaminski spoke about the results of Monday’s meeting with his Baltic peers and the warning they issued.

“Since the meeting with ministers from the Baltic states, the situation on our borders with Belarus has changed dramatically, the number of attempts to cross them illegally has dropped sharply,” Kaminski told state-owned broadcaster TVP on Friday.

“Despite the regime’s belligerent announcements, the first reactions in the context of migrants are promising,” Kaminski added.

He also said that any provocation by Belarus would have far-reaching consequences for the regime.

“If there is such a provocation, if there is a critical incident, all border crossings between Belarus and Europe, with the European Union, will be closed immediately. Those that have been functioning so far. As well as road, rail, passenger and freight – all of them. We will completely cut off Belarus from Europe,” Kaminski warned.