The UN refugee agency UNHCR and human rights organizations urged Poland on Tuesday (August 24) to provide medical and legal support and asylum to migrants camping at the Belarusian border. The day before Warsaw said it would build fences to prevent migrants from crossing the border.
Poland and other EU member states, Lithuania and Latvia, reported a sharp increase in the number of immigrants from countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan trying to cross the border. The European Union stated that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is launching a “hybrid war” with immigrants to put pressure on the European Union.
The UNHCR representative in Poland, Christine Goyer, said: “Although we recognize the challenges posed by people who have recently arrived in Poland, we call on the Polish authorities to provide these people with access to the territory, immediate medical assistance, Legal consultation and psychosocial support.”
On Monday, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that a new 2.5-meter-high solid fence will be built along the border with Belarus.
“States have the legal right to manage their borders in accordance with international law. However, they must also respect human rights, including the right to seek asylum,” UNHCR said in a statement.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it fully applies domestic and international laws regarding asylum.
“Poland fully respects the “Convention on the Status of Refugees” and abides by its provisions under the current situation. At the same time, we hope that Belarus, as a party to the convention, will fulfill its obligations and provide appropriate care for the people on its territory,” the Ministry statement said.
The Helsinki Human Rights Commission said on Tuesday that it has asked the European Court of Human Rights to take interim measures to ensure that Poland ensures the safety of immigrants and provides them with food, water and shelter in refugee centers.
The Polish Human Rights Ombudsman stated that the Polish Border Guard had violated the Geneva Conventions and would not accept oral statements from some immigrants wishing to apply for international protection in Poland.
