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Updated November 9th, 2021 at 10:31 IST

Poland stops hundreds of immigrants at its eastern border with Belarus

Video footage reveals migrants attempting to push their way through a razor fence barricade by hurling things at Polish soldiers stationed along the border

Reported by: Anwesha Majumdar
Poland
Image: Twitter/@PiotrMuller | Image:self
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Poland claims to have blocked several migrant efforts to enter into the nation through its eastern border with Belarus. Poland has further beefed-up security at its eastern border after a huge number of immigrants in Belarus were seen to be gathering near the border, attempting to push their passage into Poland, AP reported, citing an official's statement.  

It was witnessed that undocumented migrants were trying to get over a barrier using uprooted trees, according to video footage from Belarusian media. Migrants attempting to push their way through a razor fence barricade by hurling things at Polish soldiers stationed along the border, the video reveals. Further, Poland's interior ministry stated that once they have prevented the immigrants to enter, the situation was under control.  

As per BBC, the Polish administration on Monday convened a crisis conference and dispatched 12,000 soldiers to the border region. Following this incident, the Polish Border Guard also announced that the border crossing with Belarus at Kuznica with the nation will be closed from Tuesday morning. 

Poland blamed Belarus for the immigrant influx

Belarus has been blamed by Poland for driving immigrants towards the border, which it has described as hostile conduct. In the past few months, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia have reported an increase in the number of migrants mostly from the Middle East and Asia, attempting to enter their nations unlawfully from Belarus. Further, Belarus' autocratic President Alexander Lukashenko has been accused by the European Union of encouraging the inflow in retribution for sanctions. 

Immigrants who are currently stationed near the border are facing a lot of difficulties as the harsh winter has arrived in the region, raising concerns about their safety. As per BBC, these refugees are basically trapped in freezing Poland's woodlands as they are evicted from Poland and Belarus is refusing to let them back in. Further, Hypothermia has claimed the lives of several people. 

Belarus is 'Putting people's lives at risk': European Commission President

Furthermore, Piotr Wawrzyk, the deputy foreign minister of Poland, charged Belarus of attempting to stage a large disturbance in Kuznica Bialostocka, a border settlement, and warned of "an attempt at a mass border crossing". Meanwhile, in response to Monday's events in the border region, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged European Union member states to impose fresh sanctions on the Belarusian authorities, accusing it of "putting people's lives at risk", BBC reported.  

On the other hand, according to AP, in a statement to The Associated Press, Anton Bychkovsky, spokesperson for State Border Guard Committee of Belarus, stated that immigrants at the Belarus-Poland frontier are attempting to "exercise their right to apply for refugee status in the EU." These immigrants do not pose a security danger, Bychkovsky said further adding that they "are not behaving aggressively."  

(Image: Twitter/ @PiotrMuller)

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Published November 9th, 2021 at 10:31 IST

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