EU eyes visa retaliation to halt migrant influx from Belarus

BRUSSELS – The European Union's enforcement subdivision projected Wednesday to tighten visa restrictions connected members of President Alexander Lukashenko’s authorities arsenic allegations equine that Belarus is utilizing migrants to destabilize the 27-country bloc.

EU members Poland and Lithuania are struggling to header with an unusually precocious fig of migrants, astir from Iraq and Afghanistan, arriving astatine their borders with Belarus successful caller months. Poland deployed troops and declared a authorities of emergency. Dozens tried to transverse into Lithuania overnight.

The migrant influx began a twelvemonth agone aft the EU slapped sanctions connected Lukashenko’s authorities implicit the August 2020 statesmanlike election, which the West views arsenic rigged, and the Belarus information crackdown connected the absorption and peaceful protesters that followed.

Now, the European Commission wants EU subordinate countries to see suspending parts of a “visa facilitation agreement” with Belarus that took effect successful July 2020. The woody was meant to amended ties and gully the erstwhile Soviet state person to Europe.

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The connection would deed Belarusian officials, including members of the government, lawmakers, diplomats, and apical tribunal representatives. It would summation question reddish portion and necessitate them to supply other documents and wage much for visas.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson described Lukashenko arsenic “really desperate,” and claimed that helium is adjacent trying to marque wealth disconnected migrants who tin spend to wage 10,000 euros (about $11,650) to spell to Belarus.

“He is trying to destabilize the European Union by bringing successful migrants, and facilitating them, and pushing them into the European Union,” Johansson told reporters arsenic she announced the visa proposal. “This is simply a mode for Lukashenko to besides gain money.”

“He is really deceiving radical to wage a batch of wealth conscionable to beryllium trapped and tricked,” she said, citing reports from the EU’s constabulary and borderline agencies. Migrants are enactment up astatine a “very bully edifice successful Minsk,” she said, and helped to the border, but past get trapped erstwhile they can’t participate the EU.

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But the committee is besides acrophobic astir developments on the Polish border. The authorities wants to widen the authorities of exigency determination for different 60 days. Johansson volition question to Warsaw connected Thursday for talks with Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski.

Around 1,400 radical who entered Poland without authorization are being held successful guarded centers for foreigners. The nationalist authorities alleges that immoderate migrants person ties to violent and transgression groups and airs a information threat.

Polish authorities are besides sending substance messages to mobile phones successful the borderline area. “The Polish borderline is sealed. BLR (Belarus) authorities told you lies. Go backmost to Minsk! Don’t instrumentality immoderate pills from Belarusian soldiers,” the messages read.

Asked whether she supports Poland extending the authorities of exigency astatine the border, wherever astatine slightest six migrants person died and astir 600 borderline guards backed by astir 2,500 troops are stationed, Johansson underlined the value of “transparency” and respecting EU authorities and values.

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“It is important that we are steadfast towards Lukashenko, but it is besides important that we amusement that this is simply a European border. It’s not lone a Polish border,” she said.

In Lithuania, 63 radical were refused introduction from Belarus overnight successful the biggest fig of migrant arrivals connected a azygous time this month. The Baltic state has been a favored people of Lukashenko since cardinal Belarus absorption figures fled determination past year.

More than 4,000 radical person tried to transverse the borderline since August. Lithuania has started gathering a obstruction on its 678-kilometer (424-mile) borderline with Belarus.

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Monika Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland. Liudas Dapkus contributed to this study from Vilnius, Lithuania.

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