Thousands of people wanting to enter the EU are stuck on the border between Belarus and Poland.

There is unrest in the border area where Polish soldiers and the Belarusian military are guarding each side.

Belarus has been accused by the EU of flying and smuggling migrants to the border as a means of exerting pressure on the EU.

- The regime in Minsk uses people who come from Iraq or other countries as human shields, says EU Minister Hans Dahlgren.

But Belarus's ambassador to Sweden, Dimitrij Mirontjik, thinks the allegations are ridiculous.

- It is ironic and absurd to accuse Belarus of organizing illegal migrant flows, he says and continues:

"I categorically deny that Belarusian border guards mistreat migrants or treat them inhumanely," he said, adding that those at the border were free to move as they wished.

Used tourist agencies

According to SVT's sources, 12 tourist agencies have received direct instructions from the Belarusian government to meet migrants at the airport, accommodate them in hotels and escort them to the border. 

The Polish government has presented photos and videos showing how Belarusian border police are helping migrants cross the border.

The evidence is false, says Dimitrij Mirontjik. 

- How can border guards be separated from migrants via a thermal imager?

The ambassador believes that the EU is taking well-thought-out measures, such as sanctions, to harm Belarus.

EU Minister: "We must work hard"

Sweden's EU Minister Hans Dahlgren points out that the sanctions are there for a reason.

He cites electoral fraud that led to Lukashenko retaining power, abusing Protestants and hijacking in May.

- These are dangerous things.

Lukashenko is dangerous, says the EU Minister. 

Dahlgren believes that it is good that Poland is resisting and that the country has the right to protect its border.

When asked if the EU should not help the people who are stuck on the grass, he answers: 

- We must get a solution to this.

Of course there is room for a few thousand more people in the EU, but here we have a kind of hybrid attack on a member state of the EU.

We can not give in to that.

We have to work hard.

This is not acceptable behavior.

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SVT summarizes the border conflict in 60 seconds.

Photo: Leonid Scheglov / TT