Polish PM: Belarus bears responsibility for migrants who enter its territory

Belarus should bear full responsibility for the migrants who have crossed into its territory, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, following a video conference with the leaders of the Baltic States on Saturday.

A group of Polish soldiers patrolling the border with Belarus, near the village of Usnarz Górny, where a group of Afghan migrants have been stuck for several days, August 21.

Photo: PAP/Artur Reszko

Following the talks, the Polish Prime Minister's Office issued a statement which said that "all EU member states are obliged to protect the bloc's external borders and prevent illegal crossings."

The statement noted that it is the responsibility of Belarus to assist "foreign citizens who legally entered its territory."

Convened at the request of Morawiecki and attended by Lithuania’s Ingrid Simonyte, Latvia’s Arturs Karins and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, the meeting focused on the situation along Belarus's borders with EU members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

🇵🇱 PM @MorawieckiM held a videoconference with the heads of governments of 🇱🇹 @IngridaSimonyte, 🇱🇻 @krisjaniskarins and 🇪🇪 @kajakallas. Leaders discussed the current situation on the borders with Belarus, where the number of illegal migrants has surged in recent months. pic.twitter.com/vu6N3eJRXE

— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) August 21, 2021

The EU and Poland have accused the Belarusian regime of Alexander Lukashenko of intentionally pushing thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, over the border to claim asylum in one of the bloc’s member states.

The surge in the number of people trying to cross the EU's eastern border has risen in recent weeks, following a decision taken by the bloc to impose sanctions on Lukashenko's regime.

(ał)

Source: PAP