Another video shows police trucks used to transport prisoners. They would be from Grodno, about 20 kilometers from the border. It is unclear whether there are people in the closed trucks. There are also cars that transport barbed wire.
Yesterday there was a large gathering of migrants from different countries in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. It is said that it was decided to go in a group to the Polish border, about 300 kilometers away, to try to cross the border into Poland together. According to reports on Twitter, communication is via Telegram channels. Taxi drivers say there are so many taxis that there is a traffic jam near the border crossing.
retaliation?
Since the summer, more and more migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa have reported to the Polish border in an attempt to enter the EU. There have already been deaths. The final destination of most migrants arriving via this route is usually Germany.
Poland tries to stop them and regularly sends people who cross the border illegally back to Belarus. Polish border guards say they are facing violent behavior and threats from Belarusian soldiers.
Poland and the EU accuse Belarusian President Lukashenko of seeking to destabilize the EU by sending many migrants in retaliation for Western sanctions against his regime. Lukashenko previously said he will no longer hold back people on their way to a better life “in the pleasant west”.
Because the border area is not freely accessible and the state of emergency has been in force for several months, it is not possible to obtain independent confirmation of exactly what is happening. Journalists and observers cannot go there.
Lithuania is also deploying extra troops at the border with Belarus to be prepared for a possible influx of migrants, the interior minister said. The cabinet is considering declaring a state of emergency in the Lithuanian border area. It is not yet clear how many extra soldiers will be stationed at the border.
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