Belarus, two thousand migrants transferred. New conversation between Putin and Lukashenko

• Migrant crisis, one year old child died in the forest between Belarus and Poland

• Belarus, Merkel-Lukashenko phone call.

  Draghi: migrants used as a foreign policy tool

• Putin: we have nothing to do with the migrant crisis in Belarus

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November 19, 2021 A makeshift camp on the Belarusian border with Poland has been cleared. About two thousand migrants, in freezing conditions due to temperatures close to freezing, spent the night in a logistics center. More than 1,000 people had already been moved to the center on Tuesday evening. Many others, several hundred, were repatriated to Iraq after they lost hope of reaching Europe via neighboring Poland. According to Belarusian border guards, migrants receive "hot meals, warm clothes and basic necessities" in the shed that welcomes them. 

According to Minsk and the images provided by the Polish Ministry of Defense, the camp on the border between Poland and Belarus hosts around 7,000 migrants in total. "Today there are about 7,000 refugees - said Lukashenko's spokeswoman, Natalya Eismont - in the territory of Belarus. Of these, about 2,000 were in the so-called makeshift camp on the border".

The situation at the border has created strong tensions between the European Union and the United States on the one hand and between Belarus and its Russian ally on the other, with migrants left in sub-zero temperatures and 11 people dying of starvation. including a one-year-old Syrian child.

According to Lukashenko's spokesperson, the European Union is creating a humanitarian corridor for the 2,000 refugees who are now in the camp. "We are working to assist, as far as possible and if they want, to repatriate the other 5,000. According to the agreements, Angela Merkel will also negotiate with the EU the organization of a humanitarian corridor in Germany", he said, underlining that about 400 refugees, 374 to be precise, agreed to return home by plane, and that the majority are Iraqi citizens.

"It is a European problem and Germany will not do it alone," a government source told AFP. Horst Seehofer, the German interior minister, in another speech from Warsaw, ruled out any hypothesis that Germany would take charge of the 2,000 migrants.

Meanwhile, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had a new telephone conversation with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko. The two stressed the importance of cooperation between Minsk and the European Union and at the same time expressed strong condemnation for the actions taken by the Polish border forces against migrants. President Alexander Lukashenko briefed Vladimir Putin about Minsk's moves to resolve the migration crisis and his conversation with Angela Merkel, the Kremlin said.

"The humanitarian situation and respect for human rights along the Polish border with Belarus is alarming, and urgent action is needed to protect the lives of people stranded in this area" , said Dunja Mijatovic, commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, at the end of the mission she conducted in the last four days in Poland. 

"The fundamental rights of people at the border have been wiped out and forgotten", denounces Mijatovic, also underlining that the ban on access to areas bordering the border prevents international organizations and NGOs from monitoring respect for rights and providing humanitarian assistance. While the ban imposed on the media "fuels disinformation and reinforces a sense of insecurity".   

The commissioner then asks the authorities to immediately allow their access to the area and also to investigate reports indicating the presence of vigilante groups that endanger the lives of migrants and those who assist them as well as journalists. Finally, the commissioner appealed for Poland to reform the law that allows immediate rejection of those who enter its territory without passing through the official entry points. 

According to Poland, since the beginning of the crisis, the Belarusian side, supported by Russian propaganda, has tried to manipulate information. "Although most of the migrants are young men from Iraq, Belarusian reports and propaganda expose children and women, hoping that the images will put further psychological pressure on the government of the Republic of Poland," Stanislaw Zaryn, spokesman for the Minister Coordinator of the Special Services of Warsaw.

“Poland, and more generally the West, are accused of causing a 'migration crisis', of violating international law and of aggression. The announcement of the Minsk "inquiry" into the use of force by Warsaw "after the recent attacks on Polish soldiers and officers is part of the actions aimed at spreading lies about Polish responsibility for aggressive actions," Zaryn added.

Zaryn spoke of the clashes on Tuesday: "The foreigners, inspired and instigated by the Belarusian intelligence, attacked the Polish border. It was an attack of unprecedented scale. It was the most dangerous and aggressive actions so far. The Polish side has it. adopted appropriate measures in accordance with national regulations. Anyone who destroys border fences, physically attacks uniformed service agents, must deal with a single answer. Poland has the right to defend itself, "he said, speaking of use of tear gas and fire hydrants against migrants who tried to force the border between Poland and Belarus on Tuesday.

"During the attack by a group of foreigners, a dozen Poles were injured. Their lives are not in danger, although some of them were hit in the head with stones and taken to hospital. We are counting on them. They are strong people who can handle the most difficult situations ", added Zaryn who specified that" currently the Polish border is defended by several thousand border guards, police and soldiers of the Polish army. The situation is tense, and decisions appropriate to the challenges are made. If necessary, further troops will be sent to the border ”. 

"The situation remains serious, especially as we are aware that Belarus would not be able to conduct such a large-scale operation against the West without the support and approval of the Kremlin," the spokesman said, answering the question whether Poland will ask the intervention of the allies. "The actions of Alexander Lukashenko's regime must be analyzed in the context of Russia's aggressive policy towards central Europe. Moscow is trying to destabilize our region and strengthen its influence. This means that this crisis it can last a long time, "warned the spokesman.

"There are about 150 British soldiers leaving for Poland, charged - according to the government of Boris Johnson - to help the NATO ally to strengthen its borders in the face of the flow of migrants pressing from Belarus. The minister said today. of Defense, Ben Wallace, after the more general announcement made in recent days by his department in London. Wallace confirmed that they are engineers of the British Army Royal Engineers corps. "Digging boys, not combat units," he said to the BBC, reiterating that their task will be to help the Poles in raising new barriers along the eastern border with Minsk. 

The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke on the issue, who, interviewed by Corriere della Sera, offered solidarity to Poland and to all NATO members involved. "We are deeply concerned about the situation on the border between Poland and Belarus. Similar events have occurred along the border lines between Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus," he said.

"The Atlantic Council has released a strong statement condemning the Lukashenko regime for using innocent and vulnerable people as tools for hybrid tactics to put pressure on neighboring states. This is cynical and inhuman," he added, explaining that NATO has sent a team of experts to Lithuania and that the situation is being monitored.

Stoltenberg then said: "Since the illegal annexation of Crimea we have achieved the greatest strengthening of our collective defense in the eastern part of the Alliance, deploying combat-ready battalions in the Baltic states, in Poland and increasing our presence in Romania and the Black Sea region. These are all valid responses to Russia's aggressive actions - he says -. Defensive, transparent, but they demonstrate NATO's determination to protect its allies ".