DISINFO: The EU is trying to flood Belarus with terrorists under the guise of refugees
SUMMARY
The migration war waged between Belarus and its neighbouring EU countries has entered a new phase of bitterness. EU leaders tirelessly accuse Alexander Lukashenko of "a hybrid attack on a free Europe with the help of migrants." The Belarusians, in turn, convict the “civilised Europeans” of the sadistic treatment of refugees. Moreover, as noted in Minsk, the European Union is trying to flood Belarus with terrorists under the guise of refugees.
RESPONSE
Disinformation narrative about the ongoing migration crisis on the eastern borders of the European Union.
The migration crisis was directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.
In late August 2021, the Belarusian border forces did not allow several dozen migrants stuck at the Polish-Belarusian border to return to the country despite the fact that they have Belarusian visas (officially, they arrived in Belarus as tourists). In addition, the Belarusian authorities refused to accept Polish humanitarian aid for the people stuck at the border. Poland claims Belarusian forces fired shots across the border.
On 2 September 2021, Poland declared a state of emergency in two regions bordering Belarus – this step was implemented in order to face the ongoing “migration crisis” orchestrated by Belarusian authorities. In August 2021, about 3500 irregular migrants attempted to enter the territory of Poland from Belarus.
Since August, almost 4,000 refugees have come to Germany via Belarus, in the first week of October alone there were 1,183 - and the trend is rising. German authorities are investigating the involvement of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka in the smuggling of migrants to Germany. German investigators believe that by organising the transfer of migrants to Europe at the state level, Lukashenka wants to blackmail the EU into lifting sanctions on Belarus.
Several investigative journalists (here) and (here) have proven that some migrants arrive in Belarus by commercial flights from Baghdad to Minsk. Information gathered also suggests that migrants are regularly transported by bus to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border. More information about Lukashenka’s role in the organisation of the current migration crisis can be found here and here.
Brussels has said Minsk is trying to use migrants to put pressure on the EU over sanctions (read more about EU sanctions here).