MINSK, 4 August (BelTA) – Migrants in the European Union are treated like animals. They are beaten and are forced to live in inhumane conditions, State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council Aleksandr Volfovich told the media in Minsk on 4 August, BelTA has learned.
The state secretary noted an inflow of criticism recently. They are accusing Belarus of nearly facilitating illegal migration. "Here we need to look at the root of the problem. Indeed, we have seen an increase in the flow of illegal migrants in the western direction. But is this news for European countries? I don't think so. For the past several years now, the flow of illegal migrants to Europe, especially from the Middle East, has been growing. Is Belarus responsible for this? Does it deserve to be called a source of evil? No, we need to look at the root of the problem and see the reasons why this is happening," said Aleksandr Volfovich.
He recalled that it was the countries of the collective West, who, under the pretext of promoting democratic values, triggered wars in many countries of the Middle East that once prospered: “They overthrow leaders, destroy cities, ruin economies. As a result, there is noting but hunger, poverty, grief, bomb explosions on the territory of these countries. Of course, the civilian population is trying to flee to the countries with no such things, with good democratic values, as European states advertise themselves today. They flee to Europe using different routes to live there peacefully, work, raise their children."
“Unfortunately, they are treated like animals, the same way as POWs were treated in concentration camps. They are driven into enclosed areas surrounded by barbed-wire fence and are kept in inhuman conditions. They are deprived of water, food and other essentials. The police use water cannons and tear gas to quell their protests,” Aleksandr Volfovich said listing the facts.
He stated that some European countries went even further than that. “The neighboring countries push these people from their territory to the territory of Belarus being fully aware that our border is securely guarded, that we can see it. In other words, they use these civilian people as a human shield against our border guards. Before that, these people are beaten to a semi-conscious state, and their documents are taken away. It does not matter for them if these are women, children… This has been going on for several weeks. We see it all. Are there any democratic values here, what can we talk about?” the state secretary asked.
Aleksandr Volfovich also recalled a very recent shocking incident at the border. Border guards found a man, most likely a citizen of Iraq, who had come from the Lithuanian territory. “The man was beaten to death. He died in the arms of the border guards who found him. The head of state was briefed on this incident. He instructed the Investigative Committee to thoroughly look into the situation. He also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant agencies to try find this person's family,” the state secretary stressed.
“Only Nazis were capable of such things. How can we describe such things? What democratic values, good neighborly relations can we talk about?” Aleksandr Volfovich wondered.
He noted that a couple of years ago the border services maintained good relations. They cooperated, exchanged information, which benefited all countries.
"It is not right to say that today we are less concerned with the issues of protecting the state border... As before, we continue to protect the borders of Belarus, the Union State. We pay serious attention to these issues," Aleksandr Volfovich emphasized.
He noted that this year alone border guards stopped more than 10 channels of illegal migration, detained more than two dozen organizers and accomplices of illegal migration. Over the past five years, these are three-digit numbers. “The facts speak for themselves. Belarus fulfills its tasks and responsibilities towards the neighboring countries in terms of combating illegal migration. Putting blame on our country is just absurd and unfounded," he said.
Belarus is combating drug trafficking. Law enforcement seizes hundreds of kilograms of narcotic and psychotropic substances that make their way to Belarus from other countries, including from the European Union and the same Lithuania. "We know the centers where they are made, where they come from. For some reason, the neighboring country - Lithuania – is not doing anything to deal with them. We do not cry foul blaming our European colleagues for such things. We are guarding our border," said Aleksandr Volfovich.
He stressed that despite the West's sanctions Belarus spends significant budgetary funds on border protection, including personnel training and technical means. The country also hold regular border protection exercises. One of such exercises is currently underway in Grodno Oblast and Brest Oblast.
“We have always taken these issues seriously. No one, except us, will protect our border. Unfortunately, our Lithuanian colleagues do nothing but talk and make claims. It would be better if they started protecting the state border, instead of fencing their country with barbed wire,” said Aleksandr Volfovich.
In his words, a hybrid war was unleashed against Belarus, including all sorts of sanctions and a ban on flights. All these things contribute neither to cooperation and security, nor to normal communication between citizens of the neighboring countries. “In my opinion, the point of no return has not yet been passed. We cannot aggravate things further and break everything up,” the state secretary of the Security Council said.
