Social cohesion in hybrid conflicts. Cases of migration crisis at the Polish-Belarussian border and migration flows from Ukraine

Hybrid threats, which combine disinformation, cyber-attacks, economic pressure, and the use of irregular armed groups and regular forces (NATO), target society as a whole, specific groups and/or individuals in order to destabilize their functioning and undermine their sense of security. The European Union and individual countries recognize societal cohesion as one of the desirable tools to counter complex and interrelated threats, regardless of the category they belong to – hybrid interference, hybrid operations or hybrid warfare (EU). The migration crisis on the eastern border of the EU is analyzed with reference to the NATO framework of 5 elements (core values, common perception of the risk, trust in institutions and their policies and applied law) that can destabilize the coherent society. The conclusions draw attention to the progressive fracturing of society which can be slowed down by building social awareness with national and international law and policies including educational policies.