Migration crisis: EU adopts new sanctions against Belarus

Migrants attempt to cross the Polish-Belarusian border near Grodno, Belarus, November 8, 2021. AP - Leonid Shcheglov

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On Thursday, December 2, the European Union decreed a new set of sanctions against Belarus in the crisis which particularly opposes Poland, Latvia and Lithuania to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, accused of pushing migrants to the EU.

These are the classic sanctions in the arsenal of the 27, namely the visa ban for Europe and the freezing of assets held in the Union.

At the same time, similar coordinated sanctions have been taken by the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

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With our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Benazet

This is the fifth wave of sanctions imposed by the EU since the summer of 2020. It hits both the instigators of the current migrant crisis, but also those responsible for the repression of civil society since the presidential election. contested in August of last year.

Among the 17 individuals sanctioned are, moreover, in particular seven officers of the Belarusian border guard corps but also seven judges.

In the same way, the European Union sanctions 11 Belarusian entities and first of all three public companies accused of having favored repression.

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See also: In Belarus, migrants worry about the number of missing at the border

Border guards, hotels and airlines

Next come a unit of border guards accused of organizing illegal crossings of migrants to Europe, visa agencies, tour operators and tourist companies that have transported migrants from Iraq or Turkey.

In the same set of sanctions, hotels that hosted them and two airlines that transported them, including Belavia the national company.

In total, on the European sanctions list, there are now 26 entities and 183 people.

Among them, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and two of his sons.

 Also read: Belarusian forces help cross into Poland but beat up those who fail

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  • European Union

  • Belarus

  • International Migration

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Belarusian forces help cross into Poland but beat up those who fail