Poland Threatens to Arm Borders as Belarus Floods Border with Migrants

Poland has warned of “armed” escalation on its border with Belarus after thousands of migrants tried to enter the country. 

Belarus has been accused by Poland, the European Union, and Nato of encouraging people to cross into the European Union in order to destabilize the West. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has denied this. But the influx of refugees is said to be the Belarusian President’s response to recent EU criticism 

The influx of refugees is said to be Lukashenko’s response to EU criticism about his brutal crackdown on domestic opposition. 

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have all seen a surge in the number of people trying to enter their countries from Belarus, mainly from the Middle East and Asia. Minsk has reportedly issued special visas allowing migrants to fly into Belarus from Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.

Germany has said that the “whole of the democratic world” needs to get onboard in supporting orderly immigration into Europe amid the worsening crisis. 

The German interior minister Horst Seehofer accused Belarus and Russia of exploiting migrants and refugees in destabilization attempts, and said that EU countries need to stand together to face this “hybrid threat” posed by “politically organized migration.” 

Reports say that the Polish police have had to block hundreds of migrants after Belarusian authorities escorted 1,000 migrants to the Polish border. Videos published Monday showed armed Belarusian border guards guiding people to the country’s border with the EU. 

A spokesperson for the Polish government said that an additional 3,000 to 4,000 migrants were amassing by the border again Tuesday, and that an escalation was feared in the future, that could include armed border patrol. 

Thousands of Polish soldiers are already at the border area. 

The European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen pledged greater support to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to deal with the emergency, and promised that the EU would explore how to sanction third-country airlines that are active in what is being labeled as human trafficking.