Clashes with the police and the use of special equipment: how the migration crisis is developing on the Polish-Belarusian border

The Presidents of Russia and Belarus Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko held a telephone conversation and discussed the situation with migrants on the Polish-Belarusian border.

This was reported by the Kremlin press service.

“The exchange of views on the migration crisis at the borders of Belarus with the EU countries is continued, taking into account the previous telephone conversation of Alexander Lukashenko with the acting Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel,” the Kremlin said.

Earlier, the Belarusian media reported that Lukashenko, during a conversation with Merkel, proposed options for resolving the migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border.

“The head of state made a proposal on the whole solution of the situation.

The parties agreed that they will not reveal specific details yet, ”the statement reads. 

Edition “SB.

Belarus Today ”in his Telegram channel reported that Lukashenka intends to again discuss the situation on the border with Merkel.

“Angela Merkel took a break to discuss the relevant issue with the EU members.

Then another telephone conversation should take place, ”the newspaper quoted Lukashenka as saying.

In addition, Lukashenka announced attempts to transfer weapons to refugees, and urged to prevent clashes.

“I know that there have already been attempts to deliver weapons to the spontaneous migrant camp.

As well as provocations that can lead to a violent conflict.

In no case should this be allowed to happen, ”the Belarusian leader said.

On Tuesday, November 16, the situation with refugees at the border escalated.

In particular, the migrants began to break the fence and throw stones at the border guards.

Polish security forces responded with water cannons, tear gas and stun grenades.

RT correspondent Konstantin Prydybailo noted that the Polish police installed new fences at the border checkpoint overnight, where the migrants set up camp.

“Under cover of night, the Polish police set up a triple fence.

There are shields, then another structure with barbed wire and then another fence, ”he said.

He also said that some refugees were forced to breathe through a towel to protect themselves from tear gas.

On November 15, the Polish border service recorded 224 attempts to cross the border.

They added that 29 illegal migrants were expelled from the country.

On Tuesday, the Polish police said that one security officer was seriously injured in clashes with migrants - he had a skull fracture.

The official representative of the Polish border guard Anna Mikhalskaya said that the security forces, if necessary, would not hesitate to use weapons. 

“I can assure you that, if necessary, the Border Guard officers will not hesitate to use weapons,” RIA Novosti quoted her as saying.

At the same time, she said that the border service would try not to use weapons on the Belarusian-Polish border.

In addition, the head of the Polish Ministry of Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, promised a cash bonus to the security forces who participated in repelling the assault on migrants at the border.

“All soldiers currently serving on the border will receive special financial awards,” Blaschak wrote on his Twitter account.

The head of the department said that thanks to the actions of the soldiers at the border, "Poland is still safe."

The situation at the border was commented on by the official representative of the State Border Committee of Belarus, Anton Bychkovsky.

“Some foreign men, driven to despair by the unbearable conditions in which they themselves and their families had been in the last 24 hours, attempted to break into Poland.

To do this, they rushed to the barriers and tried to dismantle them, ”BelTA quotes him.

To push back the migrants, the Polish side used tear gas, which further angered the refugees, who began throwing stones and sticks at the security forces, he said.

“In response, the Polish side sent water cannon jets and stun grenades at the unarmed refugees,” he said.

In turn, the Investigative Committee of Belarus organized an investigation into the fact of the use of special equipment by Poland against illegal migrants.

“The Investigative Committee is conducting an investigation into the use of special means and ammunition against unarmed citizens and causing bodily harm to them on the territory of the Belarusian-Polish border at the Bruzgi checkpoint.

There are women and children among the victims, ”the statement reads.

After a while, RT correspondent Konstantin Pridybailo said that migrants at the checkpoint on the Belarusian-Polish border began to collect their tents and return to their former camp. 

This information was also confirmed by RT correspondent Igor Zhdanov.

According to him, some of the refugees decided to return to the old camp. 

Also, some of the refugees left the camp and arrived at the logistics center organized by the Belarusian side.

There are 873 people, including 90 women and 135 children, Konstantin Pridybailo said. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the behavior of the Polish side towards migrants unacceptable, noting that Polish border guards are acting in violation of humanitarian law.

He also stressed that the European Union demonstrates double standards in the situation with the migration crisis.

The minister noted that during the Mediterranean and Balkan waves of migrants, the EU tried to resolve issues collectively.

“In this case, firstly, Poland is rampaging, and the leadership in Brussels is using such open naked double standards that it itself cannot but understand that it is putting itself in a very uncomfortable position,” he said at a press conference in Moscow.

Let us remind you that on November 8, Poland, Lithuania and Belarus reported an aggravation of the situation at the border in connection with the flow of illegal migrants who arrived from the Belarusian territory.

Warsaw and Vilnius sent troops to the border to contain refugees who attempted to break into Polish territory. 

The EU countries accused Minsk of deliberately provoking a migration crisis and promised to consider the possibility of imposing sanctions against the Belarusian side.

Alexander Lukashenko stated that the Western countries themselves are to blame for the situation, whose actions forced the residents of a number of states to become refugees.