The situation in Afghanistan attracted oil to the fire
Polish border guards detained at least 13 people who allegedly tried to destroy barriers built on the border with Belarus. The Polish border service informed about it. Warsaw previously decided to build a fence more than two meters high to protect itself from the influx of migrants from Belarusian territory. However, events in distant Afghanistan played a significant role in the Eastern European migration crisis.
Photo: AP
Warsaw decided to completely close the border with Belarus and create a wall along the entire interstate border to prevent illegal entry into Polish territory.
According to the Polish border authorities, only one day, August 27, the border with the Belarusian parties tried to cross 130 people illegally, 40 of them were detained (the others were simply not allowed there). Since the beginning of the month, more than 3,200 attempts to cross the country 's border illegally from its eastern neighbor have been registered in Poland, and by the end of last week, there were about 1,100 people in Polish detention centers.
Warsaw, in cooperation with the three Baltic republics, accuses Minsk of using illegal migrants as a weapon in a “hybrid war” against the European Union and of ensuring that the flow of illegal immigrants is planned and systematically organized by the Lukashenko regime. Recall that in May, Alexander Lukashenko, in response to new Western sanctions, said that his country will no longer prevent refugees from further travel to the EU.
In this context, that day the Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaschak announced the start of construction of a 2.5 meter high fence to solve the problem of illegal migration. In July, the 130-kilometer-long section was extended with barbed wire, which will be reinforced by a fence designed by military engineers as a second barrier.
But as it turned out, not all Poles agree with fencing from their Belarusian neighbors. On August 29, local border guards detained thirteen people trying to tear down fences built on the interstate border. At the same time, it turned out that most of the 12 detained activists are Polish citizens. Law enforcement officials said that everyone would soon be formally charged.
“What happened on our border is completely unacceptable, & mdash; Mariusz Kamiński, head of the Polish Ministry of the Interior, noted. & mdash; The violators who broke the fences have been detained by border guards and will be held criminally liable for their actions. & # 39; & # 39;
On the one hand, the Polish side's activity on border issues with Belarus is explained by the pan-European & mdash; so & nbsp; against Lukashenko, & mdash; position. On the other hand & mdash; the fact of cooperation between Minsk and Moscow. The latter, as is well known, has long had extremely strained relations with Warsaw. But now the third factor is hitting, & mdash; the escalation of the situation in Afghanistan, from where refugees are trying to penetrate Europe by all possible means.
As stated in an interview with MK Belarusian political scientist Pavel Usov living in Warsaw, the radical steps of the Polish authorities provoked & nbsp; especially & nbsp; it was the decision of the Belarusian leadership to allow illegal migrants through its territory.
“ It's important to consider, & ndash; says the expert, & ndash; that the fences were destroyed from the Polish side: many people in the republic want permission from the authorities to enter those fleeing Belarusian territory. But Poles also know that Minsk is building a separate company on illegal immigrants. At the same time & nbsp; attempt to damage the fence itself & mdash; evidence that these are not anti-Belarusian actions. Rather, these are internal Polish trials, the actions of those citizens who are not indifferent to the fate of illegal immigrants. & # 39; & # 39;
However, for example, the British edition of The Guardian writes that the migration crisis on the Belarus-Poland border can be caused to a large extent by the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. Some Afghan citizens are trying to infiltrate first Russian and then Belarusian territory in order to get to Western Europe. Under these conditions, Pavel Usov believes that Lukashenko is gaining points for possible negotiations with the EU. It is clear that European capitals will hardly benefit from another influx of refugees, certainly many terrorists. A & nbsp; theoretically & nbsp; Minsk can dictate its terms & ndash; for example & nbsp; demand the lifting of certain sanctions in exchange for restrictions on migratory flows.
“ Blackmail against the European Union by the flow of illegal refugees from Belarus can, of course, create some positive conditions for Lukashenko, & mdash; notes our partner. & mdash; However, this cannot be compared to situations that existed in & mdash; & nbsp; EU members (e.g. & nbsp; Hungary, Czech Republic) or in Turkey, where there has been an influx of illegal migrants, e.g. from Syria (the above countries also tried to blackmail Brussels with the migration agenda. & mdash; “ MK & # 39; ) & # 39; & # 39 ;.
So far, judging by social media comments, despite the resonant detention of activists who have tried to destroy fences on the Belarusian-Polish border, the people of Poland are generally unanimous. Condemning Lukashenko's policy, they & nbsp; for the most part & nbsp; does not seek to receive refugees from the territory of the neighboring republic. A & nbsp; the more, & nbsp; do not rejoice at the arrival of potential Afghan refugees.
