According to migrants, the ‘Kurdish mafia’ is fueling the European migration crisis. They pick up refugees from Africa and the Middle East at Minsk Airport in Belarus. Then they send them on dangerous journeys to Europe.
Belarus was accused of bringing migrants from Belarus and forcing them to cross the forest into Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. This is in retaliation against EU sanctions, which Alexander Lukashenko denies.
Family members of the missing migrants fear that organised crime played a part in the tragedy which resulted in 27 deaths in Channel, last week. The Channel reported that vulnerable Kurds were being used to pawns within the international smuggling rings.
Rzgar Hussin, a policeman from Iraqi Kurdistan, has not seen or heard from his wife and three children for days since the sinking of the dinghy during the crossing to Britain on what was the deadliest day of the migration crisis.
According to him, he was scanning newspapers in order to find his family. He also said that he had lost contact with Hadia (22-year-old) on the morning she crossed from Dunkirk refugee camp to reach her Dunkirk refugee camp.
A family of Kurdish Dohuk from Iraq is seen walking through a forest close to the border between Poland and Belarus.
An armed force guards the border between Poland and Belarus in Kuznica (east Poland).
He replied, “I’ve not slept or eaten since my drowning. It’s all I can do to cry. It’s like people keep calling me asking for my information, and I’m not sure what to say.
The KGB in Belarus has been accused of creating fake social media profiles for journalists and activists to stir the current crisis at Poland’s border.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, removed accounts from its website that criticised Poland’s alleged violations of migrant rights.
The Times was told by many Kurdish immigrants in northern France that they traveled from Baghdad and Istanbul to reach Minsk in the hopes of reaching Britain.
However, they claim that they were met at the airport by the Kurdish Mafia’ who stated they had contact with them on their way across Europe.
However, the migrants were forced to live in freezing temperatures and dangerous crossings. This has led to many deaths.
Rights groups claim that at least 13 people died when thousands of migrants were forced to live in camps. These figures are on top 27 victims of the Channel.
Free winter clothing is distributed to migrants waiting at the Polish border by volunteers
After wealthy Iranians were granted tourist visas from Hungary, they travelled to France to obtain the skills and money to travel on their own to cross the border to the UK.
The operation expanded and they began to offer the service to others migrants, who had the means to pay the boat crossings themselves and were not forced to board a lorry.
Other members of the group offered their help in exchange for payment.
In 2018, 539 people crossed the Mediterranean by sea, compared to 8 439 in 2018.
Named Bashdar Ranya, the Kurdish smuggler responsible for the tragic crossing last week, was he?
With the new arrivals, the total of those who arrived in the UK for this month is now more than 6,002. This surpasses the September record of 3,879. The record breaking 25,772 totals this year.
The man claimed that he was now in Germany on the run and apologized for the loss, saying to one of his brothers: “I’m sorry. I was also surprised by it. You will be compensated.
Mohamed Isa Omar (one of the survivors from last week’s Channel tragedy) said, ‘I saw people die in front me. Many of us, who were unable to swim, died in a matter of minutes. The water was freezing.
The 28-year old spoke out about how 29 people left mainland Europe last Tuesday at 10:10pm and then sailed for over three hours until their dinghy burst off Calais.
Mohamed stated that panicked migrants had dropped their phones into the water to send rescuers their locations. He said he started swimming towards a big ship ‘far away’ – though it was hours before he was rescued.
Mohammed Shekha Ahmed (an Iraqi Kurd) was the sole survivor. He said many people attempted to hang onto the inflatable boat until it rose. The bodies of the two men were found by a French fishing boatman 12 hours later, just a few miles off French coast. Although a rescue operation was started, the bodies of the men found were not the ones that survived.
Up to 50 people were supposed to board two boats ahead of the fatal voyage – but one vessel suffered engine trouble, those stuck in camps in France claimed. It was claimed that the gun-toting group gathered all the migrants in one boat rather than curtail their trip which could have brought them many thousands of pounds.
This week, the EU stated that it is considering suspending certain rights of asylum seekers from countries bordering Belarus.
The European Commission is the executive arm of the EU, headed by President Ursula von der Leyen. It has made proposals that countries could allow asylum seekers to be held at their borders camps up to 4 months and permit faster deportations.
Belarus bordering EU members have supported their strategy of moving migrants back, without ever individually considering their case and granting them asylum.
The practice, according to rights organizations, is in violation of EU regulations and international humanitarian law.
According to the Commission’s proposal, asylum would only be granted at certain locations such as crossings of the border.
The national authorities could take up to 4 weeks to process asylum claims.
The border could hold asylum seekers for as long as 16 weeks, but they would lose the right to be detained in other suitable centers within the country.
This proposal is another illustration of EU’s tightening immigration regulations since over 1 million immigrants arrived in 2015. It has overwhelmed the bloc and divided member states on how to react.
On Wednesday, Lukashenko said that he would suspend Russian energy flow over Belarusian territory in the event Poland closes its border. According to the Kremlin, it was hoped that he wouldn’t do so.
Here’s the first image of the dangerous and fragile dinghy which sank in Calais killing 27 people
Russian food producers have been experiencing logistics issues due to the crisis at the Belarus-Polish frontier. They are facing losses and may need to suspend production temporarily if it worsens.
Out of the total six border crossings, four are currently in operation. The Belarusian border services says that six Lithuanian crossings are currently open.
Trucks transport raw materials and goods to Belarus and Russia, where they can be used by food manufacturers.
According to Reuters, 400-600 trucks can cross into Belarus at any given time from Poland. It slows down the normal wait times, which are normally 12-24 hour, to 2-4 day, according to a Russian market source.
Because of this, transport costs have risen as 500 euros per day is spent on waiting. According to the source, a new crossing route can cost between 300 and 400 euros.
According to another market source, the losses suffered by Russian importers so far are not significant. The source stated that they had been increasing in severity over the past week and have improved somewhat this week.
According to the source, if the situation becomes worse, factories could be forced to shut down.
According to a source, tailbacks in the other direction are already getting worse.
The lobbying group which includes Metro, TetraPak and Pepsi included a request to the Russian government to intervene on November 18. A letter seen by Reuters shows that this appeal was made by a number of companies including Nestle, Nestle (Nestle), Nestle, Pepsi, Danone and Nestle.
The Foreign Investment Advisory Council wrote that ‘The continued existence of the current condition could have a significant effect on supply chains, and the availability and quality of goods for public consumption, particularly given increased cargo volumes, and heightened demand during the New Year holiday season,’.
Andrey Belousov was the Deputy Prime Minister and the office addressed the letter. It stated that it would examine the situation. Transport Ministry refused to comment.
According to the letter, around 10 percent of Russia’s imports transit through Belarus or Poland.
Similar tailbacks have developed on the Belarusian-EU border, according to data from the Belarusian Border Service. The data showed that 400 to 700 vehicles are waiting at the border at any moment.