The threat of the Lukashenko regime does not end with migrants, Tihanovska warns

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In his address, Tikhanovsky looked back at the Belarussian regime’s repression of demonstrators and critics of the regime following the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus last August. She mentioned those who had been attacked, imprisoned or even killed by Belarusian security forces, European Parliament Press service.

She also addressed the current migrant crisis on the EU-Belarus border.

“Assuming that the violence against migrants is stopped in some way, do you really think that will end the regime’s abuses and cross-border threats?” asked Tikhanovsky.

She warned that there could be an increase in drug and other smuggling, military provocations and even nuclear disasters at the EU’s external borders.

The democratic movement in Belarus can no longer wait for help from Europe, and now is the time to turn verbal solidarity and concerns into concrete action, the politician stressed.

In particular, she emphasized the need for sanctions: “Let me assure you that sanctions are working. Continue to pursue a consistent sanctions policy. Sanctions divide the elite, destroy corruption schemes and divide people in Lukashenko’s immediate circle.”

She also called for Europe to be more united in solidarity with the democratic forces in Belarus. “Let us not forget the Belarusians imprisoned for their beliefs and help those who have been forced to leave the country. Today, not only democracy in Belarus but also democracy in Europe depends on us going down this path,” Tihanovska urged.

Belarus held presidential elections in August 2020, the results of which are believed to have been falsified. The election was followed by mass protests against Alexander Lukashenko’s rejection by force. Any form of opposition is being persecuted, and opponents of the power have either fled abroad or been arrested.

However, since the summer, migratory pressure on third-country nationals at Belarus’s borders has increased. The EU considers this to be a deliberate hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime, using migrants as a tool.

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