Migrants: tension mounts on the border between Poland and Belarus

Caroline Baudry, with AFP 10:31, November 09, 2021

REPORTING

Should we fear an escalation of tensions in Eastern Europe?

On Monday, Poland accused Belarus of fomenting a major incident at its border by instrumentalizing the flow of migrants.

In footage, we see refugees from Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted to the border by armed men in khaki uniforms - Belarusian border guards - pushing refugees across the border.

>> Listen to the morning show of the day in podcast or in replay here

Retaliation from Minsk

"More than 10,000 soldiers help the border guards where the strongest attacks are happening," denounced the Polish government spokesman in front of the images of the border with Belarus. Armed with shovels, secateurs and tree trunks, the migrants try to destroy the layers of barbed wire that separate them from Poland. “Please let us through!” Some implore. Belarusian soldiers are preventing them from turning back.

According to the Polish Minister of the Interior, the maneuver would be orchestrated by the special services of Minsk.

"These are reprisals from the Lukashenko regime against the foundations of the governments of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, but also against the actions of the European Union. These actions of Lukashenko call into question the security of the Polish border and its integrity ", he was alarmed.

>> READ ALSO -

 Migrants: "The British are hypocrites", criticizes Xavier Bertrand

European Union calls for new sanctions

For its part, Brussels accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the arrival of this wave of migrants and refugees, in response to European sanctions decided upon after the brutal repression of the Belarusian opposition. On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on member states to approve new sanctions against Belarusian authorities. "The instrumentalization of migrants for a political purpose is unacceptable", denounced the president in a press release. In addition to the sanctions against Minsk, she said the EU "will examine how to sanction airlines from third countries" which bring migrants to Belarus. 

The situation caused a reaction as far as Washington.

The spokesman for US diplomacy urged the Belarusian government to immediately stop manipulating the flow of migrants.

On Tuesday, Belarus denounced Warsaw's "baseless" accusations that Minsk was behind attempts to smuggle thousands of migrants across the Polish border illegally.