Deputy of the German Bundestag, representative of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) faction on foreign policy Nils Schmid proposed to involve Ukraine in solving the problem of refugees on the border of Poland and Belarus. As the politician said in an interview with the German media company Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday, November 10, it would be possible to agree with Kiev on the temporary admission of refugees. Until the consideration of their applications for asylum in the EU is underway. “This way we can make it clear that not every migrant will automatically enter the European Union,” Schmid said.
At the same time, the politician representing the largest faction in the Bundestag criticized Poland’s treatment of migrants who are trying to illegally enter the country from Belarus. Schmid drew attention to reports of illegal displacement of refugees from the country back to Belarus without the opportunity to apply to the EU. According to the German politician, Poland must comply with international norms, in particular, provide those in need with basic humanitarian protection and the right to consider an asylum application.
Meanwhile, the current German government has threatened the ruling regime of Belarus with new sanctions. Acting Foreign Minister of Germany Heiko Maas accused Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of “shameless” exploitation of migrants.
Border refugee crisis
The situation on the Polish-Belarusian border escalated sharply on Monday, November 8, when several thousand migrants from the Middle East, wishing to move to the European Union, approached the border with Poland from Belarus. Border guards and servicemen managed to stop the illegal immigrants, they set up camp near the village of Kuznitsa.
According to media reports, on the night of November 10, two groups of several dozen illegal immigrants were able to forcefully break through the border and penetrate into Polish territory in different places. All of them were returned to the Belarusian side, although some, as noted by the border guards, had to be found. At the same time, Minsk accused Polish soldiers of using violence against migrants: they claim that at least four people were diagnosed with multiple injuries.
In May, the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko said that Minsk would no longer keep refugees from moving on to EU countries. After that, the flow of illegal migrants increased sharply, first to Lithuania and then to Poland. The European Union accuses the Lukashenka regime of deliberately provoking a migration crisis and organizing the transfer of thousands of illegal immigrants to the EU borders in response to the sanctions that Europe has imposed against his regime.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
On the border with Poland
A large number of illegal migrants from Syria and Iraq have now accumulated on the border of Belarus and Poland, who are trying to get into the EU. They are trying to break through the barbed wire fence set up by Poland. In May, Lukashenka announced that Minsk would no longer deter refugees from further travel to EU countries, and since then the number of illegal migrants has grown significantly.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Trapped between Poland and Belarus
Migrants are actually stuck on the border between Poland and Belarus. The Polish side does not allow them to enter the EU, indicating that there are no grounds for entry and that they are an instrument of hybrid attacks by Lukashenka. The ruler of Belarus is accused of provoking a migration crisis by organizing the transfer of thousands of illegal migrants to the EU borders.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Delivered to the border from Minsk
According to migrants, travel agencies in their countries sell air tickets to Minsk and issue them a 30-day visa. The cost together with the services of “carriers” is up to 20,000 euros. From Minsk, depending on the package of services purchased, they are either taken to the hotel or sent to the waiting room. When a group is recruited, they are put on a bus and taken to the border.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
The beginning of the journey of migrants from Iraq
Most of the illegal migrants trying to get to the EU through Belarus are Iraqi citizens. They arrive in Minsk from three cities on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil, Shiladze and Sulaimaniyah. Under pressure from the EU, Iraq has canceled direct flights to Minsk from Baghdad since August. People also travel to Belarus from Syria, Afghanistan, Congo. Migrants reach Minsk via Dubai, Turkey, Lebanon and Ukraine.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
First – a flight to Minsk, then – the border with the EU
Belarus has significantly increased the number of flights from the Middle East to Minsk. Until next March, about 40 flights are planned weekly from the airports of Istanbul, Damascus and Dubai to Minsk – twice as many as a year ago. The air harbors of these cities are currently most often used by migrants to fly to Belarus to travel further to the EU countries.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Flights with migrants not only at the Minsk airport
Currently, about 800-1000 migrants arrive in Belarus every day. In this regard, five more Belarusian airports may soon be used to service flights from the Middle East. They will go from national to international. One of them is located in the city of Grodno, just 20 kilometers from the Polish border.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
What is happening in the Belarusian border area
In the Belarusian legislation, nothing has changed regarding the visit of the border strip by citizens of Belarus and foreigners. To get here, you must first contact the border service, notify your intentions and get a pass. Violators face fines and deportation. But now there are many illegal immigrants in the border area. They are hiding in the woods, trying to cross the border with Poland.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Through Belarusian forests – to Poland
According to migrants, Belarusian border guards help them cross over to the Polish side – they cut the barbed wire or use drones to find a safe loophole. And already in Poland, using geolocation in a smartphone, migrants determine the location of the person who will take them further. For example, to Germany.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Migrants don’t want to stay in Poland
According to the Dublin regulation, migrants must apply for asylum in the country where they first crossed the EU border. But in Poland, refugees prefer not to register and leave their fingerprints in the EU fingerprint database. Many people succeed in this, and therefore the number of refugees that the German authorities can send back to Poland is extremely small.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Refugee target – Germany
Transport on the Polish side, as a rule, is a small cargo van, in the body of which 30-40 people are packed. An escort car drives ahead of the reconnaissance van. If suddenly there is a check on the road, the route changes. The Polish-German border is crossed in different ways: in the same van, on foot, and by taxi, and by public transport.
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How the Belarusian transit of refugees to the EU works
Refugees in Germany
According to the German police, in October 4,900 migrants illegally entered the FRG through Belarus and Poland – twice as many as in September. All illegal immigrants caught or voluntarily surrendered to the German authorities are found by police officers with passports stamped by Belarusian border guards.
Author: Natalia Pozdnyakova
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