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Poland: Belarus trucking migrants back to frontier

November 19, 2021 / 4:38 PM
Migrants aiming to cross into Poland camp near the Bruzgi-Kuznica border crossing on the Belarusian-Polish border
Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Poland accused Belarus on Friday of trucking hundreds of migrants back to the border and pushing them to attempt to cross illegally, only hours after clearing camps at the frontier.
The accusation by Poland suggests an apparent change of tack this week by Minsk has not resolved the border crisis, which has spiralled into a major East-West confrontation.

European governments accuse Belarus of flying in thousands of people from the Middle East and pushing them to attempt to cross the border illegally. Around 10 migrants are believed to have died in the freezing woods. Belarus denies fomenting the crisis deliberately.

Belarus authorities cleared the main camps on Thursday where thousands of people had been huddling by the Polish border. Hundreds of Iraqis were also sent home on the first repatriation flight from Minsk in months.

But Polish Border Guard spokesperson Anna Michalska said that by Thursday evening Belarus authorities were already trucking hundreds of migrants back and forcing them to try to cross in darkness.

"(The Belarusians) were bringing more migrants to the place where there was a forced attempt to cross," Michalska said. "At the beginning there were 100 people, but then the Belarusian side brought more people in trucks. Then there were 500 people."

Fewer people are crossing the border, but some large groups can be very aggressive, she told a news conference. When the migrants tried to cross the border, Belarusian troops blinded Polish guards with lasers, she said, adding that some migrants had thrown logs and four guards sustained minor injuries.
 
November 19, 2021 / 4:38 PM

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