Poland continues to stop hundreds of migrants every week at the border with Belarus. This is according to figures from the Polish Border Guard. The practice is in stark contrast to the way Ukrainians fleeing the war are received, say Polish groups helping migrants.
The Polish Border Guard provides daily updates via Twitter about the migrants being stopped. That happened more than 600 times since the start of the war in Ukraine. This concerns refugees from Yemen and Iraq, but also migrants from countries such as Cameroon and Cuba. According to aid organizations, there are so-called pushbacks, which according to the UN refugee agency are illegal.
“Polish police are arresting migrants and smashing their phones and battery chargers,” an Iraqi-Kurdish refugee told NOS in a video call. “Then they will be returned to the Belarusian side.” He is trapped with 400 other migrants in a shed that has been converted into a camp in Bruzgi – on the Belarusian chance of the border. He remains anonymous for security reasons.
This man left four months ago with his pregnant wife, who gave birth to their son in the camp. “It’s very tough, especially with the cold here. The temperature is biting.” He is also considering crossing the road illegally with their young baby, but the risks are high. As far as we know, some 20 migrants have died on the border with Belarus since the start of the crisis.
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