Belarus said that the immigration camp built hastily on the border with Poland was cleared on Thursday, indicating that Minsk is eager to resolve the deadly crisis that its leader Alexander Lukashenko helped create.
On Thursday, after a NGO report, the crisis resulted in the 13th victim A one year old child died After his family tried a dangerous journey through Belarus into the European Union.
According to the Polish International Assistance Center, the child’s family came from Syria and was trapped outside in the forest for six weeks. The cause of death was not given, although the child’s family was reportedly stabbed in an attack.
Belarusian state media and some international media reported that campsites near the Polish city of Kuznica had been cleared Thursday morning, and those who tried to cross the border were forced back by tear gas and high-pressure water cannons. According to the official Belarusian media, all that remains in the immigration camp are “huts, tent remnants, discarded clothes and dying fires.”
The Polish Border Service confirmed: “The camp near the Bruzki border crossing is empty. The Belarusian service sends foreigners to a transportation and logistics center hundreds of meters away.” On Wednesday, Belarus has transferred more than 1,000 migrants to The warehouse, where they obtained food.
It is unclear where they will go.
On Thursday, Lukashenko’s spokesperson also claimed that he and Merkel had discussed establishing a humanitarian corridor to Germany for 2,000 migrants at the border, and Belarus had agreed to help transport the remaining 5,000 back to their country of origin. , Mainly Syria or Iraq.
The spokesperson said that the first repatriation flight took off from Belarus on Thursday with 431 Iraqi immigrants on board. They added that the rest of the people “categorically refused to leave, but we will work hard for this.”
According to reports, migrants from Syria, Iraq and other countries in the Middle East spent more than £10,000 to travel to Belarus and then signed contracts with smugglers to help them cross the border. Many people say they have no plans to go back.
The spokesperson said: “We keep our promises.” “At the same time, the EU has not fulfilled any of its obligations.”
The proposal by Lukashenko and Merkel to reach a secret agreement on immigration is politically explosive, but the leaders of Belarus have reason to exaggerate the outcome of the talks with Merkel.
Germany has not yet confirmed any agreement with Lukashenko on the humanitarian corridor. The media quoted government sources on Thursday as saying that it denied that an agreement had been reached. The EU has confirmed that it will only hold technical talks with the Belarusian government to manage the return of migrants to their country.
Nevertheless, European politicians expressed anger at Germany and Merkel’s direct contact with Lukashenko, who has not spoken to any EU leader since he launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition last year.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticized the emergence of “a separate negotiation track with dictators and illegal presidents.” After claiming widespread abuse of power and voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, the EU has not yet recognized Lukashenko as the legal leader of Belarus.
Landsbergis also stated that at least one EU government had tried to remove Belavia, the state-owned airline of Belarus, from the sanctions list agreed by the EU foreign minister earlier this week. Politico reported that Germany and Italy delayed signing the full sanctions list due to Last minute limit The airline flies on nationals of Iraq, Syria and Yemen departing from Istanbul. The publication also reported that Syrian Airlines may be removed from the sanctions list.
Lukashenko’s main supporter, Vladimir Putin, accused the West of using the immigration crisis “as a new cause of tension in our neighbourhood to put pressure on Minsk”. He also criticized the Polish border guards for using high-pressure water guns and tear gas on children.
