Migrant Crisis at Poland-Belarus Border; EU Accuses Belarus of ‘Gangster-Style’ Behavior

Hundreds of illegal migrants are trapped in severe cold at the Belarus-Poland border, and Poland is preventing their entry into the European Union territory by deploying more border guards and installing barbed wire along the border strip.

The European Commission said on Tuesday, November 9, that it will impose further sanctions against Belarus and accused Alexander Lukashenko’s government of exploiting migrants as a political weapon and endangering their lives with “gangster-style” behavior.

The plight of migrants at the Belarus-Poland border began several months ago, and at least seven migrants have died so far. On Monday, a group of migrants attempted to cut through the barbed wire and cross the border using picks and wooden sticks.

Poland and other European Union members accuse Alexander Lukashenko’s government of retaliating against EU sanctions on Belarus by encouraging migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and African countries to enter the European Union through Belarusian territory.

Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, said at a press conference in Warsaw: “The Belarus regime is attacking the borders of Poland and the European Union in an unprecedented manner. Currently, around a thousand migrants, most of whom are young men, have gathered at the border. As a European Union member, we must neutralize these aggressive measures.”

The Belarus government has denied creating this crisis and blames the United States and the European Union for the plight of migrants trapped at the country’s borders.

Belarus’s state news agency reported on Tuesday that Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, discussed the matter by telephone and expressed concern about the buildup of Polish security forces at the Belarus border.

Alexander Lukashenko said in a televised address: “Starting a war with these unfortunate people at the Poland-Belarus border, deploying tanks in the region, or conducting a military exercise is either blackmail or extortion. We will stand calmly against these measures.”

Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, has suggested that the European Union provide financial assistance to the Belarus government, similar to the agreement made with Turkey several years ago to prevent migrant movement.

In contrast, the European Union says the Belarus government illegally allows migrants to enter EU territory through Belarusian soil.

A spokesperson for the Union said on Tuesday: “This is part of the inhumane behavior and gangster-style methods of the Lukashenko regime that brings these people to Belarus by lying and instrumentally using them with false promises of easy entry into the European Union.”

The European Commission says around two thousand people have gathered at the Belarus-Poland borders and are trying to enter EU territory. The Commission added that it is ready to assist Poland as soon as possible if requested.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also called for an end to the exploitation of vulnerable people as political hostages.

A Polish official said Belarus security forces conducted warning shots aimed at creating fear and encouraging refugees to move toward the border, while providing them with tools to destroy the border fence.

Poland’s Border Guard also said that on Monday it recorded 309 cases of illegal border crossing and detained 17 people, most of whom are Iraqi.

The borders between Lithuania and Belarus could become the next focal point of this crisis. In recent days, reports have emerged about hundreds of migrants moving toward this country’s borders, and Lithuania’s Border Guard has sent more personnel to border crossings.

The migration crisis at Belarus’s borders with European Union member states began following sanctions imposed on Alexander Lukashenko’s government by Europe due to the suppression of protesters against last year’s presidential election results.

Human rights groups have accused Poland’s government of violating international agreements on asylum procedures by forcing migrants to return to Belarus, but the Polish government claims these actions are legal.

A recent poll published in a Polish newspaper shows that approximately 55 percent of the country’s population believe that migrants who illegally cross the border should be forced to return.

Source: Radio Farda