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The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday called on the member states of the European Union to adopt new sanctions against the Belarusian authorities responsible for the influx of migrants to that country’s border with Poland.
“The instrumentalization of migrants for political purposes is unacceptable,” the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, denounced in a statement.
On Monday, November 8, he called on member states to approve new sanctions against the Belarusian authorities responsible for the influx of migrants on the border with Poland.
In addition to an extension of the sanctions against Minsk, it indicates that the EU “will examine how to sanction the airlines of third countries” that transport the migrants to Belarus.
Belarus must stop putting people’s lives at risk.
I spoke to @MorawieckiM @IngridaSimonyte @krisjaniskarins
I call for approval of extended sanctions, possible sanctions on third country airlines involved.
We also want to prevent a humanitarian crisis and ensure safe returns
– Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 8, 2021
New sanctions against companies or countries
“We will not hesitate to adopt sanctions if necessary against companies and countries that play the smugglers’ game”, warned in mid-October the head of European Union diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
“Migrants receive visas, airline tickets and clothes ready for transporters right in Minsk from where they are expected to the borders of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland,” Borrell said a few weeks ago.
The Vice-President of the Commission, Margaritis Schinas, will visit “in the coming days the main countries of origin and transit to ensure that they act to prevent their own nationals from falling into the trap set by the Belarusian authorities,” read a statement from the entity.
The European Union accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating a wave of migrants and refugees, mainly from the Middle East, in retaliation for the sanctions imposed by Brussels after a brutal crackdown by his regime against the ‘opposition’.
“Stronger financial penalties”
Warsaw was concerned on Monday about an escalation “of an armed nature” on its border with Belarus, the eastern border of the European Union where thousands of migrants are concentrated. NATO denounced an “unacceptable” tactic by Minsk.
To stop the illegal crossings of immigrants from Belarus, the European Union is preparing “stronger economic sanctions” against Minsk. The first economic sanctions adopted at the end of June affected the key sectors of potash (mineral), oil and tobacco.
Individual European Union sanctions against officials of the Belarusian regime are currently targeting 166 people, including President Lukashenko and two of his sons. The adoption of sanctions requires the unanimity of the 27 countries that are part of the community bloc.
With AFP
.