Belarus: A Safe Haven For Refugees?

Belarus has been accused of luring migrants to Minsk with the false promise of easy entry to the EU. The country's authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has been accused of offering visas to desperate people in war-torn countries and encouraging them to fly to Belarus as a transit stop on their way to the EU. There have been reports of Belarusian soldiers cutting through border fencing at night to allow migrants to cross into Poland. However, Belarus has denied these allegations and stated that it is trying to repatriate stranded migrants along the border. The EU has been attempting to stop migrants from using Belarus as a route to its borders and has implemented restrictions on air routes to the country.

The EU accuses Belarus of flying in asylum seekers from the Middle East and pushing them to cross the border into Poland and Lithuania

The EU has accused Belarus of flying asylum seekers from the Middle East into the country and pushing them to cross the border into Poland and Lithuania. This accusation comes amid the escalating Belarus-European Union border crisis, which began in July 2021 when Belarus's president, Alexander Lukashenko, threatened to "flood" the EU with "drugs and migrants".

In response to EU sanctions imposed on Belarus after the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, Belarusian authorities, state-controlled travel agencies, and airlines operating in the Middle East began advertising tours to Belarus, falsely promoting easy entry into the EU. Those who arrived in Belarus, most of whom aimed to reach Germany, were instructed on how and where to cross the EU's border. Migrants claimed that Belarus provided them with tools to cut through border barriers and enter the EU. Those who did not cross were often forced to remain on the border by Belarusian authorities, who were accused of assaulting them.

The majority of migrants arrived in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, by air and then travelled overland to the borders of EU states, including Poland and Lithuania. Minsk is served by direct flights from destinations across the Middle East, including Beirut, Dubai, and Baghdad. The Belarus state carrier, Belavia, operates flights from Istanbul and Antalya in Turkey, with Turkish Airlines offering regular flights to Minsk from Istanbul. Belavia has also increased the number of flights from Istanbul.

The European Commission has accused Belarus of luring migrants to Minsk with false promises of easy entry to the EU. Poland and Lithuania have also accused Belarusian authorities of orchestrating the arrival of migrants, with a Lithuanian official stating that Belarus had simplified the visa process for migrants from Iraq, enabling them to enter as "tourists".

In response to the crisis, Poland and Lithuania declared states of emergency and announced their intentions to build border walls. The EU sent supporting officers and patrol cars to Lithuania, and 12 EU governments stated their support for a physical barrier along the border. Poland and Lithuania completed their barriers with Belarus independently after the EU refused to finance protective structures.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused Belarusian authorities of manufacturing the crisis and committing mass exploitation of migrants, subjecting them to violence, inhumane and degrading treatment, and coercion. Asylum seekers and migrants attempting to enter the EU from Belarus face pushbacks and human rights violations on the Polish border. Testimonies gathered by Amnesty International reveal that people, including families with children, have been subjected to beatings, threats, and dangerous border crossing conditions by both Belarusian and Polish authorities.

While Belarus has denied the accusations, President Lukashenko told the BBC that it was "possible" his country had helped migrants into the EU, although he denied inviting them to Belarus.

Belarus denies encouraging migrants to cross the border, but President Lukashenko has said he won't stop them

Belarus has been accused of luring migrants to Minsk with the false promise of easy entry to the EU. However, the country has denied these accusations, claiming that it is trying to repatriate stranded migrants along the border. President Lukashenko has stated that it is “possible" that his country helped migrants cross into the EU, but he denied inviting them to Belarus. He also said that he will not hold migrants back from entering the EU, as they are not trying to stay in Belarus.

In an interview with the BBC, Lukashenko denied provoking the crisis at the border by inviting migrants into Belarus. However, he admitted that it is "absolutely possible" that his troops helped them try to cross into Poland. He stated that he did not want the migrants to go through Belarus but that he would not stop them. Lukashenko told the migrants at the border that his country would help them return home if they wanted, but they would not be forced. He said that no one would be coerced and that they were free to head west or go home as they chose.

The EU has accused Belarus of orchestrating the arrival of migrants by simplifying the visa process for would-be migrants, particularly from Iraq. They claim that Belarus is retaliating against the sanctions imposed by the EU and its support for the Belarusian opposition. The EU has also stated that Belarus is violating international law and human rights by engaging in brutal violence against asylum seekers and migrants. There is testimony from people returned to Iraq that describes the horrific conditions and treatment they faced at the hands of Belarusian forces.

Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which are bearing the brunt of the crisis, have deployed thousands of border guards, soldiers, and police to seal the border and push back migrants attempting to cross from Belarus. Lithuania declared a state of emergency due to the migration crisis on its border with Belarus and has accused Lukashenko of using migrants as a weapon against the EU. The EU has agreed on new sanctions in response to the border crisis and is working to prevent migrants from coming by restricting or closing off certain air routes to Belarus.

Asylum seekers report being beaten and tortured by Belarusian forces

Asylum seekers and migrants attempting to enter the EU from Belarus face pushbacks and human rights violations on the Polish border. Evidence gathered by Amnesty International reveals that they are subjected to torture, ill-treatment, inhumane conditions, extortion, and other abuses at the hands of Belarusian forces.

Testimonies reveal that people, including families with children, have been beaten with batons and rifle butts, and threatened with security dogs. They have also been violently forced to cross the border in dangerous conditions, such as through fast-flowing rivers.

One asylum seeker reported being punched with "knuckle dusters" and kicked with steel-toed boots by Belarusian officials. A Kurdish Iraqi man told Amnesty International:

> "Some had iron finger boxing rings and steel-tipped boots. They kicked us while we were lying on the ground. They made us hand over money and phones. My body was left black and blue."

Amnesty International interviewed 75 people who were lured into Belarus between July and November 2021 with false promises of easy entry into the EU. These individuals then experienced pushbacks by EU countries, including Poland. The interviewees included 66 Iraqi nationals, seven Syrian nationals travelling from Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria, one Lebanese man, and one Sudanese man.

The testimonies of these individuals account for a total of 192 affected people, many of whom were travelling with family and friends.

Beatings, Torture, and Ill-Treatment

Amnesty International's research revealed beatings and other forms of torture, including deprivation of food, water, shelter, and sanitation. There were also reports of theft and extortion by members of the Belarusian forces.

Collection Sites and Inhumane Conditions

Asylum seekers and migrants described being escorted in groups to "collection sites" within the fenced-off exclusion zone on Belarus's border. Once in these collection sites, people were not allowed to leave or access unfenced areas accessible to civilians. They were trapped in inhumane conditions for days or weeks, with minimal food, water, and no shelter or sanitation. Several individuals reported that they were only allowed to leave the collection sites and the border strip zone after paying bribes.

Violent Force and Threats

Belarusian officials took advantage of people entering the fenced areas, beating and robbing them as they crossed. There are also reports of Belarusian soldiers cutting through border fencing at night to allow migrants to cross into Poland.

International Human Rights Law Violations

International human rights law protects the right to claim asylum and the right to freedom from torture or ill-treatment. Belarus is flagrantly violating these rights, despite being a party to relevant international treaties.

The EU has restricted or closed off some air routes to Belarus

The EU has taken a hardline stance against Belarus in response to the country's alleged mistreatment of asylum seekers and migrants. In December 2021, the EU banned all Belarusian airlines from entering its airspace, following the forced diversion of a Ryanair flight to Minsk in May 2021. This incident, which endangered aviation safety, resulted in the detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega by Belarusian authorities.

The EU's decision to ban Belarusian carriers from its airspace and airports was a direct response to this incident, with EU heads of state strongly condemning the actions of Belarus. The ban includes all aircraft operated by Belarusian carriers, prohibiting them from landing in, taking off from, or overflying EU territories. This restriction also applies to Belarusian carriers acting as marketing carriers.

Belarus has retaliated by banning the landing of any aircraft entering from EU airspace without special authorisation from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This decision, which came into effect on December 3, 2023, and will remain valid until at least March 3, 2024, also bans aircraft departing from Belarus from entering the airspace of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia – its three EU neighbours. The Belarusian government has justified this move as a means to ""protect national interests".

The ongoing tensions between Belarus and the EU have resulted in a complete halt in airline traffic between the two regions. While non-EU foreign airlines continue to serve Minsk, their flights connect the city with destinations in Russia and other countries outside the EU, avoiding EU airspace.

Belarus has moved migrants away from the main camps at the Polish border

The situation on the Poland-Belarus border has been tense for several years, with thousands of people from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa attempting to cross into the EU. The EU has accused Belarus of luring migrants with false promises of easy entry to the EU, and both Poland and the EU have accused Russia and Belarus of orchestrating the migrant surge as a form of hybrid warfare.

The migrant crisis on the Belarus-Poland border began in July 2021 when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to "flood" the EU with "drugs and migrants." Belarusian authorities, state-controlled travel agencies, and airlines operating in the Middle East began advertising tours to Belarus and promoting easy entry into the EU. Migrants who arrived in Belarus were then given instructions on how and where to cross the EU border.

In response to the increasing number of migrants, Poland erected a metal barrier along its border with Belarus in 2022. The country has also taken steps to warn and dissuade potential migrants from attempting to cross into the EU through Poland, disseminating information and posters in North African, Middle Eastern, and Turkish countries. Despite these efforts, the number of migrants attempting to cross the border has remained high, with the Polish Border Guard reporting 33,000 attempts to cross the border illegally in 2023.

The situation has resulted in violence and deaths on both sides. In May 2024, a Polish soldier was stabbed and killed by a migrant attempting to cross the border. This incident has heightened tensions and could provide a boost to anti-immigrant parties in Poland.

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