MINSK, 12 September (BelTA) – Belarus and China have not discussed the softening of the migration policy with regard to China. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement as he met with representatives of various nationalities, who live in Belarus, BelTA has learned.
“They keep speculating and claiming that China has forced Lukashenko to soften his policy towards Poland. We haven’t even discussed these topics with China. Xi Jinping knows me. He will never tell me to do anything regarding Poland. China has smart leaders, people, and security agencies. They know what the problem is. But most importantly, I swear to you that we’ve never discussed this topic with China,” the Belarusian leader stated.
Speaking about a recent decrease in the number of refugees trying to get to the European Union across the Belarusian border, Aleksandr Lukashenko attributed the decrease to actions of the Belarusian side. “They said yesterday that fewer refugees are going there today. Twice as few. Well, listen, why do we have to quarrel with them all the time? I say already: okay, let’s warn Afghanis. After all, it is people from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, who are fleeing. Even people from Africa are trying to reach Germany via Belarus. Not even Poland. Poles, Poland’s leadership made money off it. Corruption was rampant over there,” the president said. “I say: okay, let’s work with Syrians, with Afghanis. I met with the state secretary [of the Security Council of Belarus] the other day. We talked about things.”
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, he has given instructions to warn refugees not to go to Belarus in an attempt to reach the European Union. “Well, you will be simply killed. In other words, we’ve started working in Afghanistan where life is difficult in their stead [instead of Poland and the European Union as a whole]. This is why fewer people are trying to cross the border,” the head of state stated.
Speaking about the fence Poland has erected at the Belarusian border, Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that he had warned the Polish side not to do it. “It is stupid in the modern world. We have the information that a migrant needs 4 minutes to scale the fence. Why did they have to build it? it wasted millions of dollars. Half of it was stolen. This is what we need to explain to the Poles. Time will settle the dispute,” he added.
The head of state recalled that Belarus used to cooperate not only with Poland but with the European Union in migration affairs. On the one hand, Belarus protected the European Union from a stream of migrants. In turn, the other side provided financial assistance by investing in building temporary accommodation shelters. However, sanctions were enforced against Belarus afterwards. “And you must have heard that I openly said that cooperation is out of the question and we will not protect them. Why do we have to protect them with a noose on our necks? Am I wrong? And now they make some complaints about us,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.
Human rights represent another area Belarus is criticized for. Aleksandr Lukashenko drew attention to Poland’s actions in this regard: “What human rights? You kill people. You brazenly kill these migrants, who have gotten over or under the fence. They are killed and their dead bodies or half-dead bodies are dumped on our side of the border. We offer medical aid and save these people at our own expense. What human rights do you complain about if you deprive people of the key right to live?”
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