Poland denounces ‘instrumentalization’ of migration crisis by Belarus
Kraków, Nov 12 (EFE).- Polish guard services reported on Friday over 200 new crossing attempts of the border with Belarus while Poland denounced the “instrumentalization” of the migration crisis by Minsk to destabilise European borders.
“Migrants are treated instrumentally by the Lukashenka regime. In the Kuznica region, a group of women and children was moved to the fence, only so that the Belarusian services could prepare propaganda material,” the Polish defense ministry said on Twitter.
Thousands of migrants are trapped on the Belarusian side of the border enduring freezing weather conditions hoping to cross into the European Union.
Some 15,000 Polish guards have been deployed to enforce the border and stop migrants from illegally crossing into the EU.
According to the Polish guards, their Belarusian counterparts are pushing people over the fence.
Human rights groups are accusing Poland of violating international asylum rights by pushing the refugees, most from the Middle East and Asia, back into Belarus.
On Thursday, Belarus authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko threatened to cut supply of gas to the bloc after Brussels said it was preparing a new package of sanctions on Belarus including a blockage of flights from the east to the west.
The Turkish Civil Aviation Authorities announced Friday it would prohibit citizens from Iraq, Syria and Yemen to fly from Turkey to Belarus.
“Due to the problem of illegal border crossings between the European Union and Belarus, it has been decided that the citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen who want to travel to Belarus from Turkish airports will not be allowed to buy tickets and boarding until further notice,” it said on Twitter.
Lukashenko denies manufacturing the migration crisis. EFE
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