**As the border crisis is ongoing and still tight, this new thread will stay up until end of this weekend and we will re-evaluate the situation at that time.**

**What’s happening?**

Poland and other EU countries have accused Belarus of trying to provoke a new refugee crisis in Europe in revenge for their criticism of Alexander Lukashenko’s brutal crackdown on opposition and European sanctions after the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in May, in effect opening up a new migration route to the bloc. Travel agencies are providing them with flights to Minsk and then a transfer to the EU’s external border. People can be charged €15,000-€20,000 (£12,800-£17,100) when they reach Belarus.

Migrants attempting to cross from Belarus into the EU have become trapped between the two since October, when Polish police were authorised to summarily expel migrants and ignore asylum applications. Belarusian border guards refuse to allow them to turn back, meaning that people from countries including Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan are left in the inhospitable forests as temperatures drop below freezing.

Polish response:

Poland has deployed additional border guards, police and the military at its Belarus border. According to the Defense Ministry, the country now has 12,000 soldiers in the region, up from 10,000 deployed ahead of the latest developments. Members of Poland’s army reserve in the border regions were also put on full alert.

Poland has declared a state of emergency in a 3-kilometer-wide strip along its border with Belarus, preventing journalists from working there. That makes it difficult to ascertain what is happening in the zone, but there are many online reports of a large number of people moving toward the frontier.

Poland has insisted on dealing with the crisis on its own, refusing offers of help from Frontex, the EU’s border agency which is headquartered in Warsaw.

Donald Tusk, leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, said Poland should get help from its NATO allies by invoking an article that calls for consultation if an alliance member’s territory is under threat.

**How has the EU responded?**

President of the European Comission Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to approve extended sanctions against “Belarusian authorities responsible for this hybrid attack.”

“The Belarusian authorities must understand that pressuring the European Union in this way through a cynical instrumentalisation of migrants will not help them succeed in their purposes,” she said in a statement.

The use “of migrants for political purposes is unacceptable”, von der Leyen said, adding that the EU would also look at how to sanction “third-country airlines” that bring migrants to Belarus.

**Situation is developing.**

Some official links and footage:

[Euronews with actual footage, Nov 8th](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf3HGFE6cds)

[Twitter link to Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in English)](https://twitter.com/PolandMFA)

[Polish Ministry of Defense – in POLISH](https://twitter.com/MON_GOV_PL)

**UPDATE 11.11.2021**

[The Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to the Russian Federation announces that it will organize an evacuation trip for Iraqi citizens wishing to return from the Republic of Belarus to Iraq](https://www.mofa.gov.iq/moscow/2021/11/11/%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7/)

[Lukashenko ponders cutting gas supplies if EU levies more sanctions over migrants](https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/11/belarus-lukashenko-ponders-cutting-gas-supplies-if-eu-levies-more-sanctions-over-migrants)

**UPDATE 12.11.2021**

[Belarus state airline Belavia and Turkey move to stop migrant flights](https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/12/belarus-state-airline-belavia-and-turkey-move-to-stop-migrant-flights)

[Russia sends paratroopers to Belarus for drills near Poland](https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russia-sends-paratroopers-belarus-drills-poland-81127788)

[Team of 10 UK troops sent to Poland to assist on Belarus border- “engineering support” only](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/12/british-troops-sent-to-poland-to-assist-with-belarus-border-situation)

*We are aware that this is a hot topic at the moment and we would like to remind you that racism, advocating violence, hate speech, personal attacks and agenda pushing are still bannable offences*

30 comments

  3. This is probably going to be a massive talking-point for the ruling party in Poland.
    “Look how we handle our crisis, while the godless homonazi EU just waits around doing nothing.” Something like that.

  4. The main focus should be in getting those migrants out of there. There are women and children there and we can’t allow them to camp out there in the cold. Or at least get some food and supplies to them.

  6. Turkey backed down after von der Leyen’s threats. More of this please:

    > After being mentioned as a potential target of EU sanctions for its role in bringing asylum-seekers to Belarus (along with Russia’s Aeroflot), Turkish Airlines says it will refuse boarding to Minsk-bound Iraqis, Syrians and Yemenis

    > Turkish Airlines will not accept citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen on flights to Minsk if they do not have diplomatic passports.

    > Even a threat to sanction third-country airlines involved in migrant smuggling works.

  8. You forgot to put the Belarusian and Russian statements (important actors in this event and for the sake of impartiality).

  9. > Yusef Atallah, a migrant from Syria, told Reuters in an interview that Belarusian military on the border gave him a bolt cutter and forced him to cut the barbed wire. When he wanted to go back, the Belarusians beat him. “They said – you can’t go back to Minsk. Go to Poland”.

    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1458778320255037446

    > The Polish Ministry of Defense is showing a new video, which shows that Lukashenka’s security forces are constantly watching the migrants. Source: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej

    https://www.reddit.com/r/BelarusianRevolution/comments/qqrfv9/the_polish_ministry_of_defense_is_showing_a_new

    > Ukraine to send 8,500 service members to border with Belarus: “such actions will deter illegal migrants, but the only comprehensive solution is to build “a reliable modern intellectual border.”

    https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3349160-ukraine-to-send-8500-service-members-to-border-with-belarus.html

    > Migrants from Mali (Africa) came to the camp near the Polish border. They came from Moscow and want to get to France. They do not have a #Belarusian visa and came to the camp because it was cheaper to get to France.

    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1459114024893886468

  10. I read that Belavia is also no longer accepting people from the migrant countries involved on flights from Turkey. Lukashenko is losing.

  11. https://www.ilpost.it/2021/11/12/crisi-polonia-bielorussia-gas/

    Translated by DeepL

    The crisis at the border between Poland and Belarus, where for days thousands of migrants from the Middle East have been trying to enter Poland and have been blocked by Polish security forces, continues to worsen and is opening up new fronts of confrontation between Europe on the one hand and Belarus and its main supporter, Russia, on the other. Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian president, has threatened to cut off natural gas supplies to Europe if the European Union imposes economic sanctions on his country, while the issue of migrants has been the subject of a clash at the United Nations.

    In recent days, migrants massed in Belarus have tried several times to enter Poland, and have been turned back in some cases with violence. The Polish Defence Minister has said that his soldiers at the border have fired warning shots into the air to keep them away.

    In addition, temperatures in the border area have been below zero for days and migrants are forced to camp and keep warm with fires and makeshift equipment. According to Polish media, a 14-year-old boy froze to death on Thursday, but it is impossible to confirm the news. In general, the BBC wrote, at least seven people have died in the last few months of this crisis.

    The crisis is also shifting to the economic and diplomatic level. After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the European Union might impose new sanctions against Belarus, which is accused of harbouring and pushing thousands of migrants to the territory of Poland and the Baltic countries, Lukashenko threatened to shut down natural gas supplies passing through his country. “We heat Europe, and they threaten to close the border. But what happens if we cut off their gas?” he said.

    The issue of gas is particularly hot in recent months because there is a serious shortage around the world, and rising prices are putting both businesses and households in difficulty.

    Belarus is really only a transit country for natural gas: supplies come from Russia. Currently, one fifth of the gas from Russia to Europe passes through Belarusian pipelines. The pipelines are controlled by Gazprom, the Russian state company, and ultimately by the Russian government, which has a large influence on the Belarusian government. Lukashenko, therefore, could not carry out his threat alone: to do so, he would need Russia’s support.

    The fact is that in the last few days Russia itself has been very willing to help Lukashenko. On Thursday, two Russian warplanes flew over Belarusian airspace and held exercises a few dozen kilometres away from the border with Poland, where the crisis is ongoing.

    There was also a clash during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, during which Western countries (France, the UK and the US, who are permanent members, along with rotating members Albania, Estonia and Ireland) presented a joint communiqué accusing the Belarusian government of endangering the lives of migrants ‘for political reasons’ and with the aim of ‘destabilising the EU’s neighbours and external borders and deflecting attention from its increasing human rights violations’.

    Russia, another permanent member of the Council with veto power, however, defended Belarus and argued that the human rights violations were rather Poland’s, which mistreats migrants trying to enter its territory.

  13. Some people say Greece should send troops and guards to Poland in order to help, just as Poland did a couple of months ago o’ the Greco-Turkish border at Evros

  15. Russian airborne division was relocated to Grodno in Belarus, near the Polish border. During the military exercises two Russian soldiers have died

  18. It’s so ironic how poor relations are between Europe and its immediate southern neighbours who struggle to integrate, to the point that prospective immigrants from the Mediterranean can be used as a weapon. I hope we realize just how foolish it has been to ally with Islamist regimes like Saudi Arabia, and I hope that European democracy and equality can spread beyond Western Europe and its descendants.

    I’ll never accept that the European quality of life requires a predominantly European population.

  24. [Lithuanian leaders agree on conditions for calling NATO support on Belarus border](https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1540561/lithuanian-leaders-agree-on-conditions-for-calling-nato-support-on-belarus-border)

    “On Friday, the Lithuanian National Defence Council (VGT) has agreed on the criteria that would lead to the country seeking NATO assistance in dealing with what it says is Belarus’ “hybrid aggression”. Such a decision would jointly be taken by all state leaders.”

  25. Putin and Luka are evil geniuses: Using Eastern Europe’s greatest weakness (the repulsion for immigrants) to force them distance themselves from Belarus (actually building a wall on the border), in this way Belarus becomes even closer to Russia and the Euros are less likely to meddle inside the regime’s politics by supporting an eventual color revolution

    Checkmate for Russia

  26. Belarus just needs to wait while NGOs from the EU start smuggling migrants in. Poland will inevitably start arresting the smugglers and that will cause another spat between whatever country the smugglers are from and the EU condemning Poland.

  28. Since when are migrants weapons of mass destruction. Haven’t we heard for years how they’ll be future engineers and doctors?

  30. https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1540370/russia-sends-paratroopers-to-lithuanian-border-in-snap-drills-with-belarus

    > Belarus and Russia have staged unannounced military drills near the border with Poland and Lithuania, the Belarusian Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

    > Russia’s military plane Il-76 and Belarusian helicopters landed airborne troops at a training ground near Grodno, which is several dozen kilometres from the Polish and Lithuanian borders.

    > “After the landing, the Belarusian and Russian paratroopers will perform a number of combat training tasks,” the ministry said in a press release. Later, the troops “will return to their permanent deployment points”, it added.

    https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1540561/lithuanian-leaders-agree-on-conditions-for-calling-nato-support-on-belarus-border

    > On Friday, the Lithuanian National Defence Council (VGT) has agreed on the criteria that would lead to the country seeking NATO assistance in dealing with what it says is Belarus’ “hybrid aggression”. Such a decision would jointly be taken by all state leaders.

    > “Specific criteria, that would require additional assistance from NATO, activating certain articles of the Washington treaty, have been discussed,” Darius Kuliešius, Lithuanian president’s senior adviser, told reporters after VGT’s meeting on Friday.

    https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/kita-savaite-i-lietuva-atvyksta-baltijos-saliu-prezidentai-aptars-neteiseta-migracija-56-1596148

    > The presidents of Latvia and Estonia, Egil Levit and Alar Karis, will arrive in Vilnius on Monday to discuss the crisis of illegal migration at the EU border with Lithuanian leader Gitanas Nausėda, the presidency said. “The Presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will meet in a tripartite format. The leaders of the three Baltic states will discuss regional security and defense, illegal migration at the EU’s eastern border with Belarus, transatlantic cooperation and the fight against climate change, “the report released on Friday said.

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