Photo: Lilia Sharlovskaya
Bild am Sonntag newspaper Referring to unnamed sources, it states that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has become indicted in an investigation by the German authorities into the illegal entry of refugees into Germany. The publication writes that Lukashenko is considered the organizer of the import of illegal immigrants into the EU.
Sources of the newspaper reported on the progress of the investigation. According to them, migrants from the Middle East come to Belarus on student visas and in Minsk, local security forces allegedly transport them to the border with Poland. Once the migrants are in the European Union, they leave for Germany. It is stated that almost four thousand refugees have arrived in Germany via Belarus since August, and in the first week of October there were more than a thousand.
Bild claims that migrants pay the Belarusian security forces 4,000 euros for this assistance.
Poland and Lithuania have previously made claims against Belarus regarding assistance provided according to their information to illegal migration. In early August, the European Agency for the Security of External Borders Frontex announced that it had received evidence of the work of Belarusian border guards in “transporting” illegal immigrants to the Lithuanian border. The press published photographs of escorts of migrants, allegedly accompanied by vehicles of the Belarusian border service.
Minsk has denied allegations of smuggling illegal immigrants across borders. Lukashenko also said that against the background of European sanctions, his country will not help EU states in the fight against illegal immigrants and will not block borders.