MINSK, 22 November (BelTA) - Belarus is preparing the second flight for refugees to return to their homeland, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko as he received Grodno Oblast Governor Vladimir Karanik and President's Aide – Inspector for Grodno Oblast Yuri Karayev, BelTA has learned.
“We will try to meet the wishes of these people. Their wishes are a must for us. They have expressed their wish to go back to Iraq, Syria, and we, as you see, have organized a flight. We are preparing another flight at the end of the month if there are enough people ready to go home,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The president added that those refugees, who are currently in Belarus and who want to reach the European Union, do not want to return home. The president stressed that Belarus is ready to provide support to them in this matter, including in the issue of legal entry to the EU.
"They want to reach Germany and Poland. We will try to help them in every possible way. Together with them, we will demand that they be allowed to enter Germany. As of now we have learned that they are going there not only in the hopes of a normal life (which is true) but also in order to reunite with their families," Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. “I would like to repeat that we will help everyone who wants to return home. No problem here. We will also support those who want to reach Europe."
As BelTA reported earlier, the first plane with refugees flew to Iraq from Minsk National Airport on 18 November. There were about 400 Iraqi migrants on board the flight on the route Minsk - Erbil - Baghdad.
