MINSK, 25 August (BelTA) – Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belarus Mulusew Mamo visited a section controlled by the border guard station Rusaki of the Grodno branch of the Belarusian border service on 25 August in order to get familiar with the situation evolving at the border, representatives of the State Border Committee of Belarus told BelTA.
During the visit the Belarusian side outlined its position and gave the UNHCR representative an opportunity to talk to citizens of Afghanistan, who had been staying at the border line for quite some time. The foreigners told the UNHCR representative why they had left their homes in Afghanistan and why they wanted to go to European countries. They also said that Polish authorities had transported them to the border line using deceit despite their attempt to seek asylum in Poland.
The migrants were extremely indignant by the fact that Polish military personnel prevent representatives of European mass media and human rights organizations from helping the refugees. The foreigners openly stated their intention to go to countries of the European Union. They were unwilling to go to Belarus, including in order to seek shelter in Belarus.
The State Border Committee of Belarus noted that the Belarusian side had previously repeatedly urged international and humanitarian organizations to objectively look into violations of human rights and rights of refugees on the part of European countries and had called for legal aid and other kinds of aid for the refugees as part of the fulfillment of their commitments.
