Poland-Belarus Migrant Crisis

November 7th, 2021

By Cemre Türkmen

The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union (EU), accused Belarusian
leader Aleksandr Lukashenko of bringing migrants to the EU border with the promise of easy entry.
According to the commission, Lukoshenko adopted an "inhuman and gangster-like" approach to this
policy. Lukashenko denies the accusation that he is "the architect of the problem".

The EU warned Belarus that it could impose new sanctions on the country, while Lithuania declared a
state of emergency in its border areas. The Lithuanian Parliament approved the regulation, which also
authorizes border guards to use physical violence against immigrants if necessary to prevent them
from entering the country.

In recent months, there has been an increase in attempts to cross illegally through Belarus to EU and
NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. While most of them are young men, there are also
women and children among those attempting the illegal migration. The vast majority of these people
come from the Middle East and Asia. Currently, there are at least 2,000 immigrants on the Belarus-
Polish border.

Poland is the place with the highest concentration of immigrants. Especially Kuznica and its
surroundings, which is the country's main border crossing. The immigrants described how Belarusian
authorities seized their phones and directed them towards the border fence. In the region, where the
temperature dropped below zero after midnight, many people lost their lives in the past weeks. Neither
Belarus nor Poland accepts migrants staying at the border.

According to the EU, NATO and the USA, the cause of the problem is Belarus. Brussels accuses
Belarusian leader Lukoshenko of inciting people to flock to the union border in retaliation for EU
sanctions imposed after the crackdown on mass protests. The Belarusian Ministry of Defense, on the
other hand, rejected the Polish statement as "groundless and unproven" and accused the Warsaw
administration of violating the agreements by massing troops on the border.

Activists say the migrants are being used in a political game between non-EU Belarus and its
neighbors. In addition, Poland is accused of repelling immigrants across the border, violating
international asylum laws.

In the background of these, there is a migrant flow that started in 2015 and directed those of African,
Middle Eastern and Afghan origin to the European Union (EU) countries. Since then, many EU
countries have taken and implemented decisions in this direction. One of the important developments
is the "Immigration Agreement" signed between Germany and Turkey on March 18, 2016. With this
treaty, 3 million immigrants in Turkey were given the right to shelter, thus preventing migration to
Europe. In 2020, immigration returned to the north of Europe, Poland and other Baltic States began to
take measures quickly. They built fences along the borders of Poland, then Lithuania, and announced
that the army would be involved if necessary. These measures were sufficient for any illegal
immigration, but not enough to stop tens of thousands of immigrants from Belarus.

The effect of these migrations on the politics of EU countries, according to political scientists, is that
there is a direct connection between the increasing nationalism in the last 10 years and the
uncontrollable migration flow. The sudden emergence of people from other countries and cultures in
Western societies without any supervision is considered a risk in terms of social consensus in these
countries. Parties that make politics in line with national values advocate closing the borders of the
country and not allowing foreigners to live and work in the country. Nationalist politics are trying to
convert the fear of foreigners who try to enter the country uncontrollably and forcibly into votes in the
political arena. This development is especially evident in Central and Eastern European countries,
where the proportion of foreigners is low and foreign cultures are not known.

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Belarus%E2%80%93European_Union_border_crisis#In_Poland
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59231136
https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-belarus-migrant-border-crisis/
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/11/world/belarus-poland-border-migrants
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/09/poland-warns-of-armed-attempts-on-its-border-as-
germany-urges-eu-to-act
https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/10/dozens-of-migrants-detained-in-poland-after-breaking-across-
belarus-border