After another attempted crossing of the Belarusian border, 45 migrants were arrested in Poland overnight.
Warsaw claimed that Belarusian authorities conducted an operation with two large groups of migrants, whereby they brought people across the border by truck.
After clearing out camps in Belarus near Bruzgi (Belarus), border officers from Belarus were allowed to assist the migrants trying to enter Poland, they were seen helping them.
Poland also charged the Belarusian agent with trying to blind Polish soldiers using lasers to distract them.
This is the latest in a series of day-and night raids by migrants trying to enter the EU. It comes at a time when British engineers have been deployed to reinforce border defenses.
European ministers have accused Alexander Lukasenko, a dictatorship in Ukraine, of creating the crisis as revenge for his sanctions.
Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, retorted and stated that the EU must cooperate with Minsk.
Overnight, 45 migrants from Poland were detained by Polish authorities after another attempt at crossing the Belarusian border. During this incident, guards were peppered with stones and tear gas cannisters. Photographed: The Polish-Belarusian border was crowded with migrants on Thursday
Belarusian law enforcement officers protect migrants at a checkpoint near Bruzgi Kuznica, Belarus. This is in the Grodno area, Belarus.
Polish troops are visible at the Poland-Belarus border, as migrants move to the area that was prepared by the Belarusian government in the border region.
On Thursday, migrants gathered at a camp close to the border between Poland and Belarus in Kuznica Bialostocka Bruzgi.
Polish Border Guard stated that there had been 255 attempts on Thursday to cross the border, with two large groups, each consisting of approximately 550 migrants.
After the migrants launched tear gas cannisters at them and hurled rocks at them, four Polish soldiers sustained injuries.
“People from the largest group, which was approximately 500 people, hurled rocks at Polish officials and another person hurled tear gas at them,” said Anna Michalska. According to Anna Michalska, a Polish border guard spokesperson said that the Belarusian staff were also using lasers for blinding them.
Her statement also stated that Belarusian officials were seen aiding migrants to cross to Poland in truck-transported trucks.
The Belarusians were trying to bring more people to the area where they had made a forceful attempt to cross. The initial 100 were there, but the Belarusian side soon brought in more truck drivers. Michalska stated that 500 people were then added to the mix.
“Fourty-five persons were taken into custody and told to flee Poland. Michalska said that the Belarusian government is providing tear gas to migrants. It’s clear they did not bring it with them from their home countries.
Four Polish soldiers sustained injuries she said that didn’t require hospitalization.
Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that 2,000 migrants, who were camped in freezing conditions at the border, spent the night in a warehouse nearby after clearing their camps.
Belta published photographs of migrants and young children on mats inside the facility.
Belarusian state media Belta reported that 2,000 migrants camped at the border in cold conditions spent the night in nearby warehouses after they were cleared out.
Belta posted photos showing migrants including children lying on the mats at the facility. She wrote that it was a first warm night for many of them.
However, there are still repeated attempts to cross into Poland from Belarus by migrants.
Marek Pietrzak spoke on behalf of the Territorial Defence Force in Poland, who has troops at the border.
He said that he could see the inspiration and supervision of officers from the Belarusian Border Guard and other uniformed services.
According to Poland’s border service, it has received over 34,000 attempts at crossing from Belarus since the start of the year. This includes nearly 7,000 in November and close to 17,300 in October. It also recorded more than 3,500 entries in August, when the crisis started.
Michalska noted that the attempted breach rate has declined over the last month. But, she said that the latest attempts were more aggressive.
Ukraine warned Friday that migrants gathered in Belarus to seek entry to the EU were not allowed to cross its borders. They said they would be dealt with using all means, even firearms.
Belarus is accused by the West of creating an artificial migrant crisis through the admission of would-be migrants. They then take them to the border promising a smooth crossing into Europe.
Belarus denied it and asked the EU for their acceptance.
Today, the Kremlin announced that Putin and Lukashenko had a second phone conversation about the crisis at the border of Belarus and Poland. They also stressed the importance and necessity for cooperation between Minsk (EU)
Minsk claimed Thursday that around 7,000 people were living in ex-Soviet Russia.
The EU claimed it would send around 5,000 migrants back home, and that there would be a “humanitarian corridor” to Germany that would allow for about 2,000 more.
Germany immediately denied the claim. It claimed that it could not take in 2,000 immigrants.
Hundreds of Iraqis from Belarus who failed to enter the EU on Wednesday returned home via the Baghdad’s first repatriation flight.
A plane from Iraqi Airways brought 431 passengers home.
Ukraine advised migrants gathered in Belarus to not cross its border, and warned them that they would be returned with all the necessary tools, even firearms.
Ukraine is bordered by Poland and Belarus. It fears migrants may try to cross its soil to get to the EU.
“In the case of threats to life or health of border guards or law enforcement officers we will use every means of protection provided under the law,” said Denys Monastyrsky, Interior Minister.
Poland used tear gas and water cannon earlier in this week to attack stone-throwing migrants crossing into its territory.
Some countries including Ukraine and Poland have also accused Lukashenko of being involved in the crisis, as well as Moscow, their main political and financial backer.
Monastyrsky suggested Friday that Russia could redirect crisis towards the border between Ukraine and Belarus.
He stated that Russia could send large numbers of illegal immigrants through Belarus to the territory.
He said that ‘We are planning for this scenario systematically and fully’, while adding that current conditions at the border between Belarus and the United States were under control.
In preparation for possible crises, Ukraine announced last week that it will deploy thousands of security personnel and border guards to the border with Belarus.
This week, the US and EU announced new sanctions against Belarus. The regime has repressed political opposition and suppressed independent media following a dispute over last year’s presidential election.
EU, G7 foreign ministers called for Lukashenko’s regime to’stop its aggressive and exploitative campaign immediately’.
On a recent visit to Nigeria by US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken, he stated that the US might add sanctions to those already in place against Nigeria.
He stated that the effort to weaponize migration must stop. “First and foremost it does a horrible injustice to these people by making them pawns.
It also emerged Britain will send 100 troops to help Poland build a ‘Trump-style’ wall at the country’s border with Belarus.
Royal Engineers have been deployed at the border in an emergency to prevent migrants from Syria and Iraq entering Europe.
Ben Wallace, UK Defense Secretary, stated that Belarus was using migrants to aid their entry into Poland to try to undermine the country.
Today, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace pledged that the UK would’stand shoulder-to-shoulder’ with Ukraine and Poland amid increasing tensions with Russia.
The Polish parliament signed off controversial plans in October to build an 18ft border wall which will cost £297million.
It will include motion sensors and a monitoring system. The coverage area covers approximately 125 miles between the two countries.
In the midst of rising tensions between Russia and Belarus, Mr Wallace also promised that Britain would’stand shoulder-to-shoulder’ with Ukraine and Poland.
Meanwhile NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday NATO is ready to further support allies affected by the Belarus migrant crisis, We are deeply concerned about the current situation at the border to Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Lithuania.
Stoltenberg stated that he and his team remain alert to help their allies. He was speaking to reporters in Berlin.
The regime of ‘Belarusian president Alexander) Lukashenko uses vulnerable people to pressure other countries’ is both cynical, and inhumane. NATO will stand in solidarity with all the affected allies.
Polish media reports that 11 people have been killed by migrants since the start of the crisis in summer.
The charity was notified by a doctor that they had helped a Syrian couple who said their infant child died in the forests.