Minister strongly lashes out at Belarus about refugee flow | Inland

Belarus picks up refugees itself and then lets them cross the border “like a kind of cannon fodder”. They only serve “as a weapon to embarrass the European Union”, according to the minister. According to him, there are rumors that up to 55 flights a week from the Middle East will come to Belarus next winter.

Knapen calls the situation “unsustainable” and fears “a very bad situation, also humanitarian”, especially if winter really sets in in the border area between Poland and Belarus. He emphasizes that Poland has the task of guarding the EU’s external border, but that people who report as political refugees do have the right to apply for asylum.

EU foreign ministers will discuss next week how best to deal with President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. Knapen assures that the issue has become much more prominent on the agenda in recent weeks and that everyone is aware of the seriousness of the situation. He does not want to anticipate specific measures yet.

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