DISINFO: The migrants move to the EU because Europe welcomed political refugees from Belarus
SUMMARY
The refugees are trying to enter the EU countries not only because of the existence of special benefits and programmes supporting the migrants. The refugees were driven by Poland, the Baltic states and Brussels, who welcomed people from Belarus last year. Most of these Belarusians declared similar things as the refugees, that they could no longer stay on the territory of their country, that they consider themselves as temporary displaced persons or refugees, that they were looking for protection and assistance.
It is necessary to pay attention to the level of financial support to the “Tsikhanouskaya’s Brigade”. Tsikhanouskaya is received and supported on the highest level; besides financing, a large propaganda team works for her. In this situation, we remember Comrade Guaidó and his entire team. These developments were a signal to the refugees. It is a systemic EU policy to accept all people who are dissatisfied with their lives in their countries.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative about the migration situation on the Eastern border of the European Union directly caused by the Belarusian authorities.
The claim that the current “migration crisis” has any connection to the flight of the Belarusian political refugees to the EU and to the European support for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is whataboutism. So is the comparison to Juan Guaido.
In 2020-2021, several thousands of Belarusian journalists and civic activists moved to the EU, escaping away from the political repressions of the Lukashenka regime. All these people entered the EU with valid visas, or in very rare cases, they applied for political asylum at the official border crossings of Poland and Lithuania.
There is plenty of evidence that the Belarusian authorities have instigated the ongoing irregular migration flows to the EU borders via Belarus.
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that the situation on the EU-Belarus border is "the attempt of an authoritarian regime to try to destabilise its democratic neighbours". Similarly, High Representative Borrell has highlighted that the Lukashenka regime is weaponising human beings as a tool for political purposes by giving migrants false expectations and putting them in a situation of extreme vulnerability.
On 15 November 2021, the EU broadened the scope for sanctions to tackle hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants. The EU will now be able to target individuals and entities organising or contributing to activities by the Lukashenka regime that facilitate the illegal crossing of the EU's external borders.
See related examples of disinformation claims about migration here.
See our earlier articles on the Belarus migration situation here and here.