What happened at the border?
More than 1,000 people, many of them fled the dangerous environment of Middle Eastern countries, Arrived at the border between Poland and Belarus this week, The immigration crisis brewing on the fringe of the European Union escalated sharply. They were escorted to the border by the Belarusian authorities.
Clashes broke out with Polish police in riot gear.Some people in the crowd tried to enter Poland By cutting the border fence or beating it with logs. The police deployed chemical sprays to push people back.
In the evening, the group set up tents and lit a bonfire a few meters away from the Polish border. Many are women and young children, and the conditions are extremely dangerous, with the temperature dropping below freezing overnight.
Thousands of others have been scattered among much smaller groups in the border area, playing cat and mouse games with Polish border officials. In the past two months, at least 8 people have died from exposure in the area.
Polish officials vowed to prevent anyone from crossing the border. Many people trying to enter Poland want to go to Germany.
Why did this happen and how did Poland react?
Poland, the European Union, NATO and other countries all blame Belarus Deliberately triggering a crisis, allowing people who wish to come to the EU from the Middle East and Africa to go to Minsk, and then provide them with transportation to the Polish border.
European leaders said the President of Belarus, Alexander LukashenkoHis motive was to report the copy and criticize his brutal suppression of the Belarusian opposition. Other observers believe that he wants to obtain concessions from the European Union and other countries.
The Polish authorities responded severely to the arrival of the immigrants and implemented a state of emergency to prevent aid from reaching those trapped in the border area. The newly passed law allows the police to ignore asylum applications and immediately deport the immigrants back to Belarus. The government also approved a new Donald Trump-style border wall to keep them out. According to the government, there have been nearly 30,000 border crossing attempts this year, including 17,000 in October.
Where do the refugees come from?
Many of the people in the border camp set up on Monday are Iraqi Kurds who set out from Minsk on Sunday night. Flights from Iraqi Kurdistan have always been an important channel for smugglers to bring people from different Middle Eastern countries to Belarus.Nationals from Syria and Afghanistan, as well as nationals from African countries such as Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also took the “Belarusian route”. Europe Rather than trying to cross dangerous sea borders from Turkey or North Africa.
What is the international community doing?
International and local NGOs have called on Poland to allow entry into the border areas and provide supplies and medical assistance to prevent humanitarian crises. The government’s state of emergency prohibits aid organizations and journalists from entering certain areas.
Western countries have increased their pressure on Minsk. European Commission President Ursula von Delane promised to increase support for Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to strengthen border supervision. She stated that the EU will explore “how to sanctions, including by blacklisting third-country airlines that are active in human trafficking”.
What might happen next?
Poland took a tough response, and its leaders seem unlikely to accept thousands of asylum seekers from the Middle East, even if most people are keen to travel to Germany. The EU seems to be balancing its humanitarian values with its political considerations, including its difficult relationship with Poland.
At the same time, the temperature in the densely forested no man’s land between Belarus and Poland is falling, and it is becoming more dangerous every day. Hundreds of desperate people arrive in Minsk every week. It seems unlikely that this crisis will end any time soon.
