EU holds migrant talks, accuses Belarus of 'hybrid warfare'
3 years, 4 months ago

EU holds migrant talks, accuses Belarus of 'hybrid warfare'

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} European Union ministers are holding emergency talks on Wednesday in response to allegations that Belarus is deliberately sending migrants to Lithuania as part of a “hybrid warfare” campaign to destabilize the Baltic EU member country. Lithuania’s border guard service released video footage on Wednesday which it said reveals that migrants are being pushed across the border into EU territory by Belarus riot police. After talks with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday, EU Parliament President David Sassoli accused Lukashenko, once dubbed Europe’s last dictator, of “exploiting these poor people, men and women.” “I have seen these outrageous actions when officials push people across the border. “It is an organized activity of the Lukashenko regime.” On the eve of the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas accused Lukashenko of launching a “hybrid attack” against the 27-nation bloc by channeling migrants to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland in retaliation over the EU’s sanctions.

Border Belarus Lithuania Email Lukashenko Inside Washington Migrant Talks  washington  border  belarus  warfare  email  holds  eu  accuses  lithuania  verifyerrors  migrants  migrant  talks  lukashenko  hybrid

History of this topic

EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus
1 week, 6 days ago

EU says asylum rights can be suspended for migrants ‘weaponized’ by Russia and Belarus

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Wednesday gave a greenlight to Poland and other countries on Europe’s eastern flank to temporarily suspend asylum rights when they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc. The EU’s executive branch also accuses Russian authorities of “facilitating these movements, given that more than 90% of migrants illegally crossing the …

Polish president criticizes government's no-asylum-for-irregular-migrants plan as a 'grave mistake'
2 months, 1 week ago

Polish president criticizes government's no-asylum-for-irregular-migrants plan as a 'grave mistake'

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Poland reintroduces restrictions on accessing areas along Belarus border due to migration pressure
6 months, 1 week ago

Poland reintroduces restrictions on accessing areas along Belarus border due to migration pressure

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Poland honors soldier who was fatally stabbed by migrant at border with Belarus
6 months, 1 week ago

Poland honors soldier who was fatally stabbed by migrant at border with Belarus

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Poland rolls out plans for fortifications along its border with Russia and Belarus
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Poland rolls out plans for fortifications along its border with Russia and Belarus

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Defense officials in NATO member …

Poland’s prime minister vows to strengthen security at EU border with Belarus
7 months, 1 week ago

Poland’s prime minister vows to strengthen security at EU border with Belarus

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Saturday traveled to the country’s border with Belarus, which is also the European Union’s external border with the autocratic state, and pledged to do more to strengthen security along its entire eastern frontier. “I know that there are more and more illegal crossings every day,” Tusk told reporters at the border, …

Latvia sends soldiers to boost security on border with Belarus
1 year, 4 months ago

Latvia sends soldiers to boost security on border with Belarus

Al Jazeera  

Latvia says country is facing increased ‘hybrid threats’ and blames Belarusian authorities of involvement in encouraging people to cross border. Latvia’s defence minister has ordered the army to help guard the country’s border with Belarus amid what was described as “hybrid threats” facing the country and as a reported 96 attempts were made by people to cross the border in …

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus
1 year, 4 months ago

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Poland is deploying …

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions
1 year, 4 months ago

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Associated Press  

JARYLOWKA, Poland — Poland’s defense minister said Saturday that the country has increased the number of troops protecting its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid “destabilizing” actions by its pro-Russian neighbor. Also a pro-government group in Belarus recently alleged that Poland’s politicians, who support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s aggression, were “igniting the fire of war with their …

As tensions mount, Poland plans to deploy troops to its border with Belarus
1 year, 4 months ago

As tensions mount, Poland plans to deploy troops to its border with Belarus

NPR  

As tensions mount, Poland plans to deploy troops to its border with Belarus Poland is planning to send ten thousand troops to its border with Belarus to counter what the government sees as a security threat from Russia's ally, and host to Wagner militia fighters. SCHMITZ: And, Sarah, he's saying here that this troop buildup is meant to scare away …

Poland to move 10,000 troops to border near Belarus as Wagner threat grows
1 year, 4 months ago

Poland to move 10,000 troops to border near Belarus as Wagner threat grows

India TV News  

The Polish Defense Minister on Thursday said that the government is planning to deploy at least 10,000 troops along its border with neighbouring Belarus to prepare for a possible altercation with Wagner mercenary forces and migants trying to illegally cross the border. Additional 2,000 troops would be sent to the border over the next two weeks to double Poland's military …

Poland and Lithuania say they fear provocations from Russia and Belarus at NATO's eastern flank
1 year, 4 months ago

Poland and Lithuania say they fear provocations from Russia and Belarus at NATO's eastern flank

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Both nations on NATO's eastern …

Poland and Lithuania say they fear provocations from Russia and Belarus at NATO’s eastern flank
1 year, 4 months ago

Poland and Lithuania say they fear provocations from Russia and Belarus at NATO’s eastern flank

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — Polish and Lithuanian leaders held an urgent meeting Thursday in a strategically sensitive area where their NATO nations border Belarus and the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, warning that they are bracing for provocations from Moscow and Minsk in the area. Both nations on NATO’s eastern flank have increased their border security following the arrival of thousands of …

Poland’s ruling party leader vows to protect the EU border with Russia’s ally Belarus
1 year, 4 months ago

Poland’s ruling party leader vows to protect the EU border with Russia’s ally Belarus

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — The European Union’s border with Russian ally Belarus has become more dangerous because of Russia’s military presence there, and securing the frontier is the Polish government’s top priority, Poland’s ruling party leader said Thursday. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a deputy prime minister and head of the conservative Law and Justice party, made the comments while visiting the village of …

Latvia calls watchdog’s migrant mistreatment claims ‘absurd’
2 years, 2 months ago

Latvia calls watchdog’s migrant mistreatment claims ‘absurd’

The Hindu  

Latvia on October 13 rejected as “absurd" claims by Amnesty International that it is violently mistreating migrants attempting to enter the European Union member country through Belarus. The human rights watchdog said in a report released on Thursday that Latvian authorities have violently pushed back refugees and migrants — mostly from Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East — from …

Poland-Belarus border: The people pushed back in a Polish forest
2 years, 6 months ago

Poland-Belarus border: The people pushed back in a Polish forest

Al Jazeera  

Listen to this story: Białystok, Poland – Mahir* and Hasan* wove their way through a forest in eastern Poland. The pair were able to cross into Poland and avoid Polish border guards, who have been accused of “pushbacks” of non-European refugees and migrants entering their country via the “red zone” – a 3km-wide strip running along the roughly 400km border …

Latvia, Lithuania, Poland rapped over Belarus border methods
2 years, 11 months ago

Latvia, Lithuania, Poland rapped over Belarus border methods

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland continue to use questionable methods to keep out migrants trying to enter from Belarus and are denying access to aid groups trying to help people stuck in border areas, senior U.N. refugee agency and European Union officials said Thursday. She did say that border tensions have “de-escalated significantly,” and that the EU has helped …

Migrants camped in Belarus warehouse still hope to reach Europe
3 years ago

Migrants camped in Belarus warehouse still hope to reach Europe

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sleeping on mattresses in a …

‘Go through,’ Lukashenko tells migrants at Belarus-Poland border
3 years ago

‘Go through,’ Lukashenko tells migrants at Belarus-Poland border

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko told …

A new humanitarian crisis unfolds at the Polish-Belarusian border
3 years, 1 month ago

A new humanitarian crisis unfolds at the Polish-Belarusian border

Al Jazeera  

For weeks, a large group of people, mostly from the Middle East, has been stranded in Belarus at a border crossing with Poland, trapped as forces from the two countries face off against each other. The West has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of luring the refugees and migrants to the border to use them as pawns to destabilise the …

What next for the refugees stranded between Belarus and Poland?
3 years, 1 month ago

What next for the refugees stranded between Belarus and Poland?

Al Jazeera  

Even if Belarus and the EU reach a deal, analysts say refugees may be long left in limbo at the border or in detention centres. Although Dennison said Belarus’ approach was unlikely to work, he predicted the EU and Minsk may eventually agree on “some face-saving measure” that involve people being returned to their countries of origin, “possibly paid for …

Lukashenko warns against flare-up with Poland over border crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

Lukashenko warns against flare-up with Poland over border crisis

Al Jazeera  

Belarusian president calls for European powers to work with Minsk but Berlin rejects proposal to take in 2,000 people. President Alexander Lukashenko has said Belarus seeks no confrontation with Poland but wants European powers to work with Minsk to resolve the migration crisis along his country’s border with Poland, adding that if the crisis deteriorated “too far, war is unavoidable”. …

The victims of the Belarus border crisis were obvious. For Poland’s government, it was a useful distraction
3 years, 1 month ago

The victims of the Belarus border crisis were obvious. For Poland’s government, it was a useful distraction

CNN  

CNN — It was clear who the losers were in the dispute between Poland and Belarus. But Dempsey added: “With this whole crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border, Law and Justice now is seen as a champion of protecting Polish sovereignty and, of course, protecting Europe.” State of emergency The decision by Poland’s government – which also opposed taking in refugees …

Belarus bringing hundreds in trucks to cross into EU: Poland
3 years, 1 month ago

Belarus bringing hundreds in trucks to cross into EU: Poland

Al Jazeera  

Despite diplomatic attempts to ease the crisis, Warsaw says it has detained more people who tried to enter the EU overnight. Polish Border Guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska said on Friday that a group of 500 people had tried to enter the European Union member state on Thursday evening, aided by Belarusian authorities who had earlier cleared the main camps at …

Poland-Belarus migrant crisis: Where does the EU stand?
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland-Belarus migrant crisis: Where does the EU stand?

Al Jazeera  

The bloc is failing to unify because of political disagreements, according to experts. The bloc has accused Belarus of “weaponising” migrants – luring in people from the Middle East to dump them at the EU’s borders, to retaliate against targeted EU sanctions. Speaking to journalists before a recent EU foreign ministers’ meeting, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suggested making Minsk …

Who is benefitting from the Poland-Belarus border crisis?
3 years, 1 month ago

Who is benefitting from the Poland-Belarus border crisis?

Al Jazeera  

Over the past few weeks, tensions along the Belarusian-Polish border have escalated, as thousands of asylum seekers try to cross into Poland, a member of the European Union. The latter exists largely on paper, but it does provide for a common defence policy and free movement between the two countries, which means the Belarusian border with Poland and the two …

Belarus migrant crisis: Poland PM mulls asking NATO to hold emergency talks
3 years, 1 month ago

Belarus migrant crisis: Poland PM mulls asking NATO to hold emergency talks

India TV News  

Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are considering asking NATO to hold emergency talks as they struggle to manage a tense migration standoff on their borders with Belarus, the Polish prime minister said on Sunday. Ahmed al-Sahhaf, the spokesman for Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, told The Associated Press on Sunday that “large groups of Iraqi migrants are being exposed to difficult humanitarian situations.” …

Poland-Belarus border: ‘People are dying in the forest’
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland-Belarus border: ‘People are dying in the forest’

Al Jazeera  

Hajnówka, Poland – When Yousef*, a 48-year-old teacher from Damascus, Syria, heard through word of mouth that it was now possible to safely cross into the European Union via the Belarus-Poland border, he saw an opportunity. The European Commission has described Lukashenko’s strategy of luring migrants and refugees to the border with false promises of safe passage to the EU …

Putin says he has 'nothing to do with' migrant crisis on Belarus-Poland border
3 years, 1 month ago

Putin says he has 'nothing to do with' migrant crisis on Belarus-Poland border

Daily Mail  

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said today Russia has nothing to do with the migrant crisis on the Belarus-Poland border. Putin said European leaders needed to talk to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko if they want to resolve the crisis, which has left hundreds of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, trapped on the border. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said …

Russia deploys paratroopers to Belarus border region amid fears of conflict
3 years, 1 month ago

Russia deploys paratroopers to Belarus border region amid fears of conflict

Daily Mail  

America has warned Vladimir Putin will be making a 'serious mistake' if he invades Ukraine after the Russian president provoked the West by deploying troops in Belarus and sending bombers over the North Sea. Elsewhere today: The EU said it is alarmed by Russian military activities close to Ukraine, is watching the situation closely and 'looking at further steps' along …

Live updates: Belarus-Poland border crisis traps thousands in ‘catastrophic’ conditions
3 years, 1 month ago

Live updates: Belarus-Poland border crisis traps thousands in ‘catastrophic’ conditions

CNN  

Migrants sit by a fire near the Poland-Belarus border on Wednesday, November 10. Here’s what else you need to know: Migrants are trapped in terrible conditions: The situation at the border remains fluid, with at least 800 people currently camped out in a makeshift camp on the Belarusian side of the closed Kuznica border crossing, Polish authorities told CNN on …

Poland’s far right demands strong borders in Belarus crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland’s far right demands strong borders in Belarus crisis

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — Thousands marched in Warsaw on Thursday to mark Poland’s Independence Day, led by far-right groups calling for strong borders, while its troops blocked hundreds of new attempts by migrants to enter the country illegally from neighboring Belarus in a tense standoff. The U.N. Security Council discussed the crisis privately but took no action, though six of its …

Belarus-Poland border crisis: Russia and Belarus hold military drills
3 years, 1 month ago

Belarus-Poland border crisis: Russia and Belarus hold military drills

CNN  

Bruzgi, Belarus CNN — Russia and Belarus flexed their military might for a third time this week near the Poland-Belarus border, where thousands of people are stranded in deplorable conditions, trapped at the center of an intensifying humanitarian and geopolitical crisis. On Friday, Russia and Belarus held joint paratrooper drills near Poland, exercises the Belarusian defense ministry said were “in …

Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded along the Belarus border with Poland amid a raging geopolitical row. Months earlier, the EU and the United States penalised Lukashenko’s government for cracking down on dissent after a disputed August 2020 election which handed the 67-year-old a sixth term and provoked mass anti-government protests. Angered by the toughened measures, Lukashenko hit back …

EU values, laws under threat amid standoff at Belarus border
3 years, 1 month ago

EU values, laws under threat amid standoff at Belarus border

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Fears that the authoritarian leader of Belarus is using migrants and refugees as a “hybrid warfare” tactic to undermine the security of the European Union are putting new strains on some of the values and laws in the 27-nation bloc. Belarus is weaponizing migrants’ distress in a cynical and shocking way,” European Council President Charles Michel said at …

EXPLAINER: What’s behind the crisis at Belarus-Poland border
3 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: What’s behind the crisis at Belarus-Poland border

Associated Press  

Thousands of migrants and refugees have flocked to Belarus’ border with Poland, hoping to get to Western Europe, Many of them are now stranded at the frontier, setting up makeshift camps as Polish security forces watch them from behind a razor-wire fence and try to prevent them from entering the country. “Such brutal tactics would make Belarus toxic and delay …

Migrant crisis on Belarus border 'could escalate into war'
3 years, 1 month ago

Migrant crisis on Belarus border 'could escalate into war'

Daily Mail  

The migrant crisis at the Belarusian border could descend into all-out war, neighbouring countries warned today as Ukraine sent 8,500 reinforcements to its frontier with the Kremlin-backed state. Temperatures are plunging below freezing at night, making camping at the frontier increasingly perilous A young boy and a group of men behind me looking stony-faced at the Polish border on Thursday …

What’s happening in Belarus? The border migrant crisis, explained
3 years, 1 month ago

What’s happening in Belarus? The border migrant crisis, explained

CNN  

CNN — Thousands of people have been stranded at the border between Poland and Belarus for months, trapped at the center of an intensifying geopolitical dispute. A spokesperson for Poland’s border guards told CNN on Monday that there had been “forced mass attempts to cross the border” in Kuznica area by a group of people over the weekend and that …

‘Go back to Minsk!’: Poland’s SMS warning to refugees amid crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

‘Go back to Minsk!’: Poland’s SMS warning to refugees amid crisis

Al Jazeera  

Cold and tired refugees are repelled by Poland with a brusque text, the start of their bleak attempt to enter Central Europe. The text also includes a warning not to take any “pills” from Belarusian soldiers; there have been unverified reports that Belarusian border guards have given people tablets containing methadone in order to “survive” the dangerous crossing to the …

The Poland-Belarus border crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

The Poland-Belarus border crisis

CNN  

Tensions have eased on the border between Poland and Belarus, where thousands of migrants had been stranded in freezing conditions. After a violent confrontation erupted Tuesday, November 16, Belarusian border guards cleared the makeshift camps near the border by moving many of the migrants to shelter in a nearby warehouse, where they received aid from the Belarusian Red Cross, the …

EU accuses Belarus of ‘trafficking’ migrants toward border
3 years, 1 month ago

EU accuses Belarus of ‘trafficking’ migrants toward border

Associated Press  

WARSAW, Poland — European Union officials on Wednesday accused Belarus of state- As the crisis showed no sign of easing, an EU leader also said the bloc was, for the first time, considering the idea of funding the construction of a wall or some other barrier on its eastern border. Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, also accused Lukashenko of “using …

Poland-Belarus border crisis: How will the European Union react?
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland-Belarus border crisis: How will the European Union react?

The Hindu  

The European Union is once again scrambling to respond to a crisis on its external borders, what officials have called a "hybrid attack" orchestrated by the Belarusian regime to push migrants toward the bloc's external border. After the situation escalated dramatically on November 8, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The Belarusian authorities must understand that pressuring the …

Poland detains refugees, increases troops at Belarusian border
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland detains refugees, increases troops at Belarusian border

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds more make failed attempts to cross the Belarus-Poland frontier as the crisis escalates. Germany’s acting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement on Wednesday that the images from the Belarusian border were “horrific”. Belarus’s foreign minister meanwhile said the EU was “provoking” the standoff on its border with Poland and added Minsk was seeking a “joint response” to …

EU accuses Belarus of ‘gangster’ approach to migrant crisis
3 years, 1 month ago

EU accuses Belarus of ‘gangster’ approach to migrant crisis

Al Jazeera  

Warsaw has warned of an imminent ‘armed escalation’ after Polish forces blocked attempted crossings amid near-freezing temperatures. The European Commission has accused the Belarusian government of tricking migrants and refugees with false promises of easy access to the European Union in what it called a “gangster-style” approach to a long-running migrant crisis. Polish President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday accused Lukashenko’s …

Poland blocks hundreds of migrants, refugees at Belarus border
3 years, 1 month ago

Poland blocks hundreds of migrants, refugees at Belarus border

Al Jazeera  

Warsaw accuses Minsk of trying to trigger a major confrontation along the frontier as months-long border crisis escalates. Lithuania, meanwhile, said it was moving additional troops to its border with Belarus to prepare for a possible surge in attempted crossings from the latter, while Latvia described the situation as “alarming”. “It represents the two border issues with which the EU …

Germany sees spike in migrants arriving via ‘Belarus route’
3 years, 2 months ago

Germany sees spike in migrants arriving via ‘Belarus route’

Associated Press  

BERLIN — German authorities said Wednesday that the number of migrants arriving in the country via Poland and Belarus has gone up during the months that several European Union nations have accused the Belarusian government of encouraging people to cross into the EU from its territory. German federal police said more than 4,300 people illegally crossed the border from Poland …

Poland's president urges EU to stop Belarus migrant 'push'
3 years, 2 months ago

Poland's president urges EU to stop Belarus migrant 'push'

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The …

They’re trying to escape war. But these migrants to Europe are caught in another dispute
3 years, 2 months ago

They’re trying to escape war. But these migrants to Europe are caught in another dispute

LA Times  

Boshra Moallem, bottom left, looks out the window with her two sisters and brother-in-law at a refugee center in Bialystok, Poland. They told us it’s really easy to go to Europe, to find your life, to run war,” the 48-year-old said as she recovered this week in a refugee center in eastern Poland. “I didn’t imagine I would live another …

EU eyes visa retaliation to halt migrant influx from Belarus
3 years, 2 months ago

EU eyes visa retaliation to halt migrant influx from Belarus

The Hindu  

As allegations mount that Belarus is using migrants to destabilise the European Union, the bloc’s executive branch proposed on Wednesday to tighten visa restrictions on members of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. The European Commission wants the 27 EU member countries to consider suspending parts of a “visa facilitation agreement” with Belarus that entered force in July 2020. In recent months, …

Discover Related