Maas announces new sanctions in the migration dispute with Belarus
Lukashenko threatens to stop deliveries of Russian gas to Europe
The situation in the Polish-Belarusian border area is becoming more and more dramatic for migrants. The EU wants to increase the sanctions against the Belarusian dictator Lukashenko. The threatens to stop Russian gas supplies. Meanwhile, fighter jets are flying over Belarus again.
The pressure from the European Union is beginning to take effect: the airline Belavia will no longer sell one-way tickets by order of Turkey. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has also announced new sanctions.
IIn the migration dispute with Belarus, the EU will impose new sanctions in the coming week, according to the acting Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD). At the meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday in Brussels, the sanctions would be extended to people “who indirectly or directly” supported the smuggling of migrants to Belarus, Maas told the “Rheinische Post” and the “Bonner General-Anzeiger” (Saturday editions). Maas also did not rule out sanctions against participating airlines.
Under pressure from the EU, Turkey is no longer allowing citizens of several Arab states to fly to Belarus from its national territory. People with Syrian, Iraqi and Yemeni passports are no longer allowed to buy tickets or board until further notice, the civil aviation authority of Turkey announced on Friday.
The Belarusian state airline Belavia is affected. Previously, there had been a corresponding order from Ankara, the airline announced on Friday. The flight ban will therefore apply from Friday.
The EU had previously threatened sanctions against airlines transporting migrants to Belarus with the intention of illegally traveling to the EU.
Turkish Airlines also has to react
According to an EU official, one-way tickets for flights from Turkey to Minsk will no longer be sold. Belavia will also no longer be able to use Turkish Airlines’ Middle East network to fly travelers via Istanbul to Minsk, it said.
The airline came under fire after media reports that Turkey was targeting migrants to Belarus with the help of Turkish Airlines. The Polish government and the EU accuse ruler Alexander Lukashenko of allowing migrants to be brought into the country in order to then smuggle them into the EU.
Turkish Airlines had denied the allegations. However, the airline would now have threatened EU sanctions if it had not participated in the crackdown on illegal migration. For example, flights to the EU could have been banned.
In order to enable such measures, the EU states agreed in the past few days on a new sanction instrument against airlines and other parties involved in illegal smuggling activities. It is to be formally decided on next Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. In the next step, specific penalties could then be imposed.
With the measures that have already been taken, the EU hopes that fewer people will come to Belarus from poor or conflict-ridden countries. The leadership in Minsk is accused of deliberately bringing migrants into the country in order to then bring them to the border with Poland for onward travel to the EU. The assumption is that the ruler Alexander Lukashenko wants to avenge himself for the sanctions that the EU has imposed because of the repression of civil society and the democratic opposition.
The situation at the border remains very tense
In addition to Poland, the Federal Republic of Germany is also heavily affected by the developments. This is because the majority of the migrants who make it across the border into Poland travel on to Germany.
The situation on the border between Belarus and Poland was also very tense on Friday. According to police reports, Polish security forces intervened several times during the night to prevent illegal border crossings. The PAP agency quoted local police spokesman Tomasz Krupa as saying that Belarusian soldiers tried to force a group of around 35 migrants across the border near the town of Kuznica on Thursday evening.
Accordingly, the majority of the migrants were women and children. Much of the information from the border area cannot be verified because independent journalists have so far been denied access.
The group of migrants was driven towards the border system made of barbed wire, it said. Polish police officers, border guards and soldiers prevented them from crossing the border. According to the Polish police, there are still around 200 people in the area who are guarded by Belarusian soldiers.
The measures now taken have been agreed by the Turkish authorities with a team led by EU Council President Charles Michel, it said in Brussels. The EU is also preparing a further tightening of existing sanctions in the conflict.
They are supposed to be directed against around 30 airlines, travel agencies or other responsible persons who support Belarus in smuggling refugees towards the EU. Passengers affected by the ban can now return their tickets at the point of sale and have their money refunded.
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