Hosting over one million refugees and facing border threats from Belarus, Poland is a site for U.S. re-engagement. To address these challenges, the U.S. should (1) support Polish border and migration modernization efforts, (2) reinvest in rural water infrastructure, and (3) elevate Poland’s role in global water diplomacy. The absence of U.S. foreign aid places Poland at a critical crossroads, where U.S. re-engagement could reaffirm American leadership in democratic development. To secure the support Poland needs, U.S. organizations and various western entities must act on targeted policy measures that will strengthen its position as a stable anchor within the European framework.

Current Scenario / Context Setting

Since 2015, Poland’s rapid migration intake and unequal rural infrastructure development have stretched national capacity. While urban centers have benefited from EU modernization, rural sanitation remains underfunded. Meanwhile, migration weaponization by Belarus and diminishing U.S. support have left Poland geopolitically exposed. These challenges were once buffered by USAID’s strategic investments and U.S.-EU coordination, further underscoring how development aid serves as a frontline tool of soft power. The European Commission’s 2022 partnership agreement highlights water and migration as persistent flashpoints, making Poland’s domestic resilience a matter of regional urgency.

1. Rethink Border Security and Migration Policy

1.1 Modernize Border Systems in Partnership with the EU

USAID previously supported border system modernization and humanitarian coordination for Poland’s neighbors, Moldova and Ukraine. However, Poland’s exclusion from this network has created strategic blind spots, resulting in a remapping of its political interior. Investing in non-intrusive, high-tech surveillance infrastructure, such as thermal drones, AI-enabled motion detection, and digital biometric tracking, will allow for precision monitoring without violating international norms. Simultaneously, Warsaw should push for increased EU support for Frontex deployments on its eastern flank, turning a unilateral issue into a multilateral responsibility.

Integration with the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) must be codified into national legislation. This will insulate Poland from litigation while ensuring transparency and fairness in processing claims. Integrating the CEAS into national legislation will institutionalize Poland's ability to manage asylum claims effectively. Integration will ensure that asylum seekers receive fair treatment and consistent protection, reducing the risk of legal challenges and fostering trust in the system.

1.2 Address Root Causes Through Targeted Foreign Assistance

Poland, as an emerging donor and EU stakeholder, should co-sponsor EU-led development programs in countries of origin such as Syria, Libya, and Sudan. These programs should focus on food security, climate adaptation, and rule-of-law institutions. Domestically, Poland can propose a “Migration Diplomacy Fund” at the EU level to support humanitarian actors working in origin and transit states. 

Poland and its European allies should advocate for the strategic return of U.S. foreign aid, an instrument that reinforces shared values and stabilizes regions before crises escalate.

2. Bridge the Urban-Rural Water Gap

While urban areas typically benefit from modern water infrastructure, many rural communities still face outdated or insufficient systems, leading to unreliable water supply and poor wastewater management. 

2.1 Launch a National Rural Water Resilience Program

USAID’s termination has created a structural gap in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) planning. By exporting WASH innovations and prioritizing climate-resilient infrastructure forums, Warsaw can assume a soft power role once occupied by Washington. Despite strong gains in urban water sanitation, Poland’s rural regions will continue to suffer from underinvestment. A targeted rural infrastructure strategy should be launched, with national and EU Cohesion Funds earmarked specifically for:

• Wastewater treatment facility modernization

• Agricultural runoff controls

• Water purification system installations in high-contamination zones

2.2 Deepen Regional Cooperation on Transboundary Water Management

While the U.S. has not previously engaged in Poland’s transboundary water planning, future involvement from the State Department could support data sharing, early warning systems, and regional climate resilience. Both the Vistula River and the Baltic Sea face increased pollution and ecological degradation, and Poland must take a leading role in revamping the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). This includes co-funding nutrient runoff reduction programs and co-hosting a Baltic Water Security Summit, as advocated by Save Polesia.
There are two primary contributions through the EU: the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Bilateral water agreements with Germany and Lithuania should be reactivated and expanded to include pollution tracking, early warning systems, and seasonal drought response coordination. 

3. Embrace Water Diplomacy as Strategic Soft Power

As global water insecurity drives conflict and displacement across Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA region, Warsaw should work with institutions like the Global Water Partnership, the World Bank, and UNESCO to:

• Share best practices in wastewater recycling

• Host regional capacity-building programs for sanitation engineering

• Pilot cooperative agreements in countries where water stress drives migration

Through technical partnerships and policy coordination on water security, the Department of State can act as a neutral facilitator of regional stability. For Poland, agreements around water governance and early warning systems could reduce the impact of floods and droughts, while improving long-term food and economic security. Poland can also pursue water-tech collaboration with countries like Israel, adapting desalination and greywater reuse models to Polish needs while exporting lessons abroad, as detailed by Modern Diplomacy.

Conclusion

Poland’s twin challenges, both refugee governance and water infrastructure, are not separate policy dilemmas, but intertwined tests of state capacity, international engagement, and regional solidarity. By aligning migration policy with issues such as EU frameworks, the absence of USAID, closing sanitation gaps in its rural heartland, and advancing global water diplomacy, Poland can turn domestic constraints into platforms for soft power and strategic leadership. 

Issues highlighted, such as water and border security, are no longer distant but instead emergent realities. With traditional aid in decline, it's essential to establish new approaches, such as through multilateral engagement and regional trust-building.