MINSK, 8 November (BelTA) – Foreigners stranded at the border with Poland say they want to get to Poland to exercise their right to submit an asylum application in the EU, official representative of the State Border Committee of Belarus Anton Bychkovsky told BelTA.
“All these people, including women and children, do not pose a threat to security and do not behave aggressively. According to the refugees, they gathered together in such a large group to prevent their forced expulsion by Poland, as well as to draw the attention of the international community to non-observance of human rights by Poland. Taking into consideration the statements of Polish officials about significant expansion of the military presence near the border, we do not exclude provocations by the Polish side aimed at justifying the use of force and special equipment against refugees,” he noted.
According to Anton Bychkovsky, the border service is acting in accordance with the situation and border troops have been reinforced. They seek to maintain security in the area where the refugee group is located, prevent provocations and crisis situations. At the same time, international checkpoints are operating in a routine mode.
The State Border Committee of Belarus stated previously that a large group of refugees carrying their belongings was moving along a motorway towards the Polish border. “The Polish border guard has repeatedly stated that it pushes migrants in their thousands towards the border with Belarus. The refugees attempted this step of desperation due to the indifference and inhumane attitude of the Polish authorities,” representatives of the Belarusian border service said. The Belarusian side took the necessary measures to ensure the uninterrupted operation of international transportation channels and the safety of the people moving along the motorway.
Photos by Leonid Shcheglov
