Is the refugee situation on the border between Belarus and Poland getting worse? Poland’s government warns that large numbers of people could try to break the border – many want to go to Germany.
According to the authorities in Belarus, several hundred migrants set out on foot to the border with the neighboring EU country Poland. The photos showed how people from different countries of origin carried their belongings in larger groups. According to a report by the state news agency Belta, the border guards of the authoritarian ex-Soviet republic declared that “all necessary measures” had been taken to ensure security. Poland, in turn, announced that it would strengthen protection at the EU’s external border.
From the point of view of the Polish government, the migrants could try to break through the border near the town of Kuznica Bialostocka. “According to the latest information, this huge group of migrants is under the control of armed Belarusian forces who decide where to go and where not,” wrote Stanislaw Zaryn, intelligence coordinator on Twitter. He spoke of another hostile action by the neighboring country against Poland. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki convened a crisis team.
Will refugees be flown into Belarus?
The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko sees himself being criticized for having people flown in from various crisis regions in order to smuggle them into the EU. In response to sanctions against his country, he had declared that he would no longer stop people on their way to a better life in the “cozy West”. According to information from the EU Commission, several hundred people have already gathered at the border.
There have already been several migrant deaths in the border region. The EU states Poland and Lithuania have reported thousands of border crossings in the past few months. Germany is considered a main destination for migrants. According to information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, an average of around 170 migrants came to Germany every day via Poland. There was no further increase, said ministry spokesman Steve Alter.
The CDU / CSU parliamentary group wants to introduce a proposal to the Bundestag on the situation on the German-Polish border. The acting interior minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) has proposed to Poland to intensify the joint stripes. Stationary border controls by the federal police are not yet planned.
Poland’s government spokesman Piotr Müller told the PAP news agency that more border guards would be sent to the relevant section. In addition, they are in contact with the EU border protection agency Frontex. The Department of Defense released aerial photographs showing a large crowd near the border.
In Berlin, a bus from the Seebrücke Deutschland and LeaveNoOneBehind initiatives left for the border area. He is supposed to bring relief supplies such as winter shoes, socks, rescue blankets and headlamps to Poland. The activists had originally planned to bring migrants to Germany on their way back. However, this is only possible with a confirmation of admission from the Ministry of the Interior, said the initiative. A corresponding request has not yet been answered.
Federal government: no new impetus
A ministry spokesman had already announced that “unauthorized transport and any unauthorized entry” could result in criminal prosecution. When asked whether the current federal government feels responsible, he said: “The executive government takes care of matters that cannot be postponed. However, it does not provide any new political impetus.”
Lithuania is also stepping up its measures. “We are preparing for all possible scenarios,” said border guard chief Rustamas Liubajevas. There were also meetings with the army. “We plan to put an additional number of troops on standby,” said Liubajevas.
The EU has not recognized Lukashenko as head of state of Belarus (formerly Belarus) since the controversial presidential election last year. The “last dictator in Europe”, as critics call him, is supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin welcomed the authorities’ actions on the migrants. Lukashenko acts with great severity against any opposition.
Source From: Stern
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