MINSK, 20 September (BelTA) – The use of force by Poland and Lithuania against migrants is aimed at intimidating them, expert of the Belaya Rus public association Pyotr Petrovsky told BelTA.
“Here I would like to emphasize the most important thing - Poland and Lithuania do not fulfill their commitments within the European Union. Polish and Lithuanian security forces beat and use disproportionate force against migrants in order to intimidate them, to make sure that migrants start perceiving Poland and Lithuania as the countries where xenophobia and racism are promulgated not even at the level of some marginal social or political groups, but at the level of the state. This is the ultimate goal of this policy. I think that such actions will continue on the part of Poland and Lithuania, because they are well aware of their inability to stop and prevent these migration flows on their own within the legal framework. In their opinion, only psychological pressure, only intimidation can somehow have an impact,” Piotr Petrovsky said.
The expert emphasized the inaction of Brussels and the EU in this situation. “In June this year European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson reprimanded Greece for trying to force migrants out to Turkey. She said that this policy ran afoul of European values and standards. At the same time, she has turned a blind eye on the violation of not only European, but also international legislation regarding refugees in this case. And one gets the impression that the European Commission, the European Council and the entire European bureaucracy condone and cover up the official Vilnius and Warsaw in their unlawful, inhuman actions,” he said.
