> The group helps migrants fly from the Middle East to Belarus and travel from Poland to Central Europe – now it has come under the scrutiny of European investigators. A confidential memo reveals how the smugglers operate.
> 65
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> Investigators are on the trail of a major smuggling gang. According to a memo obtained by WELT from the EU police agency Europol to the police authorities of Schengen states, “a criminal network of mainly Syrian nationals living in Germany or the Netherlands has been operating in the states of Germany, the Netherlands and Poland for several weeks.” The network, he said, “organizes the transport of irregular migrants from the Middle East via Belarus and Poland to Western Europe.”
>
> For “smuggling from Poland to Germany or the Netherlands, the network uses buses or rental cars.” Among other things, the network hires Eastern Europeans to pick up migrants in Poland or Lithuania and drive them to Germany. Often, the drivers receive 100 euros per person picked up, the confidential memo says.
>
> Already in September, WELT AM SONNTAG had reported on several arrests of Iraqis and Afghans living in Germany who smuggled compatriots into Germany via Belarus. Last week, WELT reported that according to information from the EU Commission, the majority of arrested escape helpers who assist migrants from Belarus to enter the EU via Poland live in Germany.
>
> “Most of the reported cases concern the arrest of drivers who enable irregular migrants (mostly from Syria, but also from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen) to cross Poland to Germany in rented cars. In most cases, the drivers were third-country nationals (Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians and Turks) living in Germany,” it said.
>
> According to Bild am Sonntag, in recent weeks the federal police provisionally arrested 329 smugglers who allegedly brought migrants from the Polish-Belarusian border area to Germany. A large number of them are in custody. Among the alleged perpetrators are 14 with German passports, the rest are often Syrians, Iraqis, Ukrainians, Georgians and Balts.
>
> According to findings of the investigators, the smugglers apply via closed forums on the Internet and rent a van. They then receive cell phone messages in which areas they are to pick up the migrants.
>
> Poland is trying to prevent illegal entries from Belarus with massive border protection. According to the Polish border police, some 35,000 illegal border crossings have been detected since August, and almost all of those apprehended have been turned back. But by no means all entries are detected in the wide-ranging area: More than 9500 asylum seekers have arrived in Germany via Belarus since July.
>
> Polish authorities are now warning migrants at the border with Belarus by text message not to believe rumors about an allegedly imminent transit to Germany. News is circulating among migrants that buses from Germany will pick up the refugees on November 15 and that Poland has given its consent to the transit, the text message says.
>
> It continues, “This is a lie and nonsense! Poland will continue to protect its border with Belarus.” The message in English would be received by all those whose cell phones were within range of Polish mobile communications in the border area, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said. He said the short message included a link to his ministry’s website, where the message could be found in five languages.
>
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> The background of the rumor is probably attempts by German immigration activists to pick up migrants from the border region. On Tuesday, German non-governmental organizations in Poland had last failed with the attempt to bring migrants from the border action to the Federal Republic. The bus of the initiatives Seebrücke Deutschland and LeaveNoOneBehind was stopped by Polish police a few kilometers before the border crossing at Kuznica.
>
> The Federal Ministry of the Interior warned that aiding and abetting unauthorized entry could have criminal consequences. Currently, numerous governments are trying to provide better care for migrants holding out at the border with Poland. The refugee agency UNHCR has now been granted access to the campers by Belarus. Aid organizations are also working in Poland, but the country does not allow foreign NGOs into the border area.
>
> Enduring images of suffering people
> Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) spoke out particularly clearly against the demand raised in numerous media for the distribution of migrants within the EU. “We must not accept these migrants either in the EU or in Germany. If one wanted to, they would not have to take the detour via Minsk, but could fly directly to Germany,” Kretschmer told “Bild am Sonntag.” “We have to show the dictator in Minsk that he will not succeed with this measure. Then he will stop with the smuggling.”
>
> Kretschmer added that society must endure the images of people suffering hardship at the border and help Poland secure its external EU border. “Warsaw is doing the right thing, so we must not stab Poland in the back.”
1 comment
> The group helps migrants fly from the Middle East to Belarus and travel from Poland to Central Europe – now it has come under the scrutiny of European investigators. A confidential memo reveals how the smugglers operate.
> 65
>
> Advertisement
> Investigators are on the trail of a major smuggling gang. According to a memo obtained by WELT from the EU police agency Europol to the police authorities of Schengen states, “a criminal network of mainly Syrian nationals living in Germany or the Netherlands has been operating in the states of Germany, the Netherlands and Poland for several weeks.” The network, he said, “organizes the transport of irregular migrants from the Middle East via Belarus and Poland to Western Europe.”
>
> For “smuggling from Poland to Germany or the Netherlands, the network uses buses or rental cars.” Among other things, the network hires Eastern Europeans to pick up migrants in Poland or Lithuania and drive them to Germany. Often, the drivers receive 100 euros per person picked up, the confidential memo says.
>
> Already in September, WELT AM SONNTAG had reported on several arrests of Iraqis and Afghans living in Germany who smuggled compatriots into Germany via Belarus. Last week, WELT reported that according to information from the EU Commission, the majority of arrested escape helpers who assist migrants from Belarus to enter the EU via Poland live in Germany.
>
> “Most of the reported cases concern the arrest of drivers who enable irregular migrants (mostly from Syria, but also from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Yemen) to cross Poland to Germany in rented cars. In most cases, the drivers were third-country nationals (Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians and Turks) living in Germany,” it said.
>
> According to Bild am Sonntag, in recent weeks the federal police provisionally arrested 329 smugglers who allegedly brought migrants from the Polish-Belarusian border area to Germany. A large number of them are in custody. Among the alleged perpetrators are 14 with German passports, the rest are often Syrians, Iraqis, Ukrainians, Georgians and Balts.
>
> According to findings of the investigators, the smugglers apply via closed forums on the Internet and rent a van. They then receive cell phone messages in which areas they are to pick up the migrants.
>
> Poland is trying to prevent illegal entries from Belarus with massive border protection. According to the Polish border police, some 35,000 illegal border crossings have been detected since August, and almost all of those apprehended have been turned back. But by no means all entries are detected in the wide-ranging area: More than 9500 asylum seekers have arrived in Germany via Belarus since July.
>
> Polish authorities are now warning migrants at the border with Belarus by text message not to believe rumors about an allegedly imminent transit to Germany. News is circulating among migrants that buses from Germany will pick up the refugees on November 15 and that Poland has given its consent to the transit, the text message says.
>
> It continues, “This is a lie and nonsense! Poland will continue to protect its border with Belarus.” The message in English would be received by all those whose cell phones were within range of Polish mobile communications in the border area, Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said. He said the short message included a link to his ministry’s website, where the message could be found in five languages.
>
> Advertisement
> The background of the rumor is probably attempts by German immigration activists to pick up migrants from the border region. On Tuesday, German non-governmental organizations in Poland had last failed with the attempt to bring migrants from the border action to the Federal Republic. The bus of the initiatives Seebrücke Deutschland and LeaveNoOneBehind was stopped by Polish police a few kilometers before the border crossing at Kuznica.
>
> The Federal Ministry of the Interior warned that aiding and abetting unauthorized entry could have criminal consequences. Currently, numerous governments are trying to provide better care for migrants holding out at the border with Poland. The refugee agency UNHCR has now been granted access to the campers by Belarus. Aid organizations are also working in Poland, but the country does not allow foreign NGOs into the border area.
>
> Enduring images of suffering people
> Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) spoke out particularly clearly against the demand raised in numerous media for the distribution of migrants within the EU. “We must not accept these migrants either in the EU or in Germany. If one wanted to, they would not have to take the detour via Minsk, but could fly directly to Germany,” Kretschmer told “Bild am Sonntag.” “We have to show the dictator in Minsk that he will not succeed with this measure. Then he will stop with the smuggling.”
>
> Kretschmer added that society must endure the images of people suffering hardship at the border and help Poland secure its external EU border. “Warsaw is doing the right thing, so we must not stab Poland in the back.”
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)