Belarus calls on neighbouring EU countries to resume cooperation in the fight against illegal migration, said Anatoly Glaz, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 18 September.
A representative of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry commented on Germany’s decision to monitor its borders.
“In our view, these measures by Berlin were a response to the ineffectiveness of Poland and the Baltic states at the external borders of the European Union in terms of ensuring migration security for the EU and the main destination country for migrants – Germany. At the same time, everyone knows that effectiveness in this matter cannot be achieved by building fences or other forceful methods. All relevant international organisations say that this problem must be solved only by comprehensive efforts and only by cooperation of all entities involved. Here is the telephone conversation that took place the other day between Federal Chancellor O. Scholz and the Prime Minister of Poland. Mr. Tuska On the subject of migration policy, what the German government press service reported precisely indicates Warsaw’s anger at Berlin’s actions.” – said.
According to him, Minsk “fully shares the views of the leaders of Germany and Poland, announced to the press, on the need for “close cooperation between European partners” in the fight against illegal immigration.”
“But another attempt by Berlin and Warsaw, in conversation with each other, to accuse Belarus of some kind of instrumentalisation of migration does not stand up to criticism. Less than half a percent of all migrants entering the EU do so via our territory. At the same time, we have repeatedly invited neighbouring EU Member States to return to normal professional cooperation to counter this global challenge. We have offered and continue to offer, if they are really concerned about this problem.” – Glaz pointed out.
He also noted that “it remains a mystery to us why the same disadvantaged people arriving in the EU in hundreds of thousands via the Balkan, Mediterranean and other routes are migrants in need of rescue and acceptance, and several thousand migrants ending up in the EU via Belarus are “instrumentalised” migrants who can be killed and mutilated at the border.”
“It is difficult to find a normal explanation for this act of extreme cynicism and double standards,” — Glaz summed up.
Let us recall that in 2021, the migration crisis began on the border of Belarus with EU countries. Poland, Lithuania and Latvia refuse to accept migrants from the Belarusian side.
