Everything new is well forgotten old. A year and a half ago, the migration crisis on the borders of Belarus with Poland and Lithuania was in the top of the news. And then the problems arose again. In recent weeks, the bodies of four dead refugees have been found in the border area, and dozens of people try to cross into the EU every day. Against this background, Lithuania demanded €120 million in compensation from Minsk to eliminate the consequences of the influx of migrants. Izvestia understood what was happening.
Staircase in the EU
In late March and early April, a record flow of illegal migrants over the past year and a half is recorded on the borders of Belarus with the EU countries. Dozens of people try to cross to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia every day. So, on April 11, Polish border guards reported 71 attempts to cross the border, Latvian – about 29, Lithuanian recorded ten attempts.
The most notable incident occurred at the end of March in the Belarusian-Polish section near the village of Dubiche-Tserkevna. Then a group of migrants threw sticks and stones at the border guards. The message of the Polish border service claims that illegal immigrants ended up at the border with the consent of the Belarusian security forces. The agency also released a video of the incident showing a group of men, one of whom has a folding ladder strapped to his back.
In addition, tragic incidents have become more frequent. Yes, in Lithuania in early April, the body of the deceased Indian was taken from the Disna River. “A pre-trial investigation has been launched, and we really hope that we will have more information about what happened,” said Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite. According to her, the responsibility “for this whole situation” lies with the Belarusian authorities.
On the line of contact between Poland and Belarus in recent weeks found three dead. One of the corpses was found by volunteers from the Grupa Granica organization, which provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people. The activists’ statement refers to “another deadly victim of the anti-refugee and inhumane policies of the Polish state.” “The government and its subordinate services continue to criminalize refugees. If there is no change in the political course, then more people will die on the Polish-Belarusian border,” the volunteers noted.
Great Baltic Fence
The migration crisis in Eastern Europe peaked in 2021. Hundreds, and sometimes thousands of refugees daily tried to break through the border of Belarus with the EU countries. They were mainly immigrants from Syria, Iraq and Eritrea. They traveled to Minsk by direct flights from Istanbul and Baghdad, then moved in crowds to the border areas. At the end of 2021, the Poles counted 40,000 attempts to illegally cross the border, while 4,200 attempts were recorded in Lithuania.
The European Union claimed that Alexander Lukashenko deliberately provokes problems. Allegedly, the migrants themselves admitted that before crossing the border, “people in camouflage” instructed them – they told them how to destroy documents, what to say, what not to mention during the interview. European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: migrants pay up to €15,000 for transfers to the European Union.
In turn, Lukashenka accused his neighbors of bullying the IDPs. “They spray tear gas and pesticides. Why do helicopters fly at low altitude? To spray away from the propeller with a whirlwind, so that it reaches the children, ”he was indignant. In December 2021, the Polish border guard Emil Chechko defected to the side of Belarus. He told reporters that personally participated in the executions of migrants, up to 700 people were killed before his eyes. Six months later, Chechko was found hanged in a Minsk apartment.
Warsaw and Vilnius managed to cope with the crisis through two key measures. On the one hand, Poland and Lithuania after the aggravation of the crisis stopped letting immigrants into their territory. In violation of EU rules, border guards began forcibly pushing refugees back to Belarus. Because of this, some groups of migrants roamed between countries for a long time, there was an effect of a kind of ping-pong at the border.
The second measure – the European Union agreed with key air carriers. Turkish Airlines has stopped letting citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen, with the exception of holders of diplomatic passports, on flights to Minsk. Iraqi Airways stopped flying to the Belarusian capital altogether.
After the end of the acute phase of the crisis, the neighbors of Belarus began to strengthen the border. Poland erected a five-meter fence with a total length of 187 km. Electronic control systems, including cameras and motion sensors, were installed along the entire length of the fence. Roads were laid along the fence so that round-the-clock border patrols could intervene in any situation.
Similar structures appeared in Lithuania and Latvia. At the same time, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte admitted that the barrier is not “something that can completely protect the state from illegal migration.” Therefore, in Vilnius they went further and now they are thinking about the construction of fortifications on the most difficult sections. The corresponding bill was prepared by the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense.
Lithuania also decided to act through the courts. The Minister of Justice of the country, Evelina Dobrovolska, announced in early April that the republic would apply to international arbitration or the International Court of Justice in order to receive compensation for the influx of migrants. Vilnius expects to recover at least €120 million from Minsk.
Migrants – to the heat
Nikolai Mezhevich, President of the Russian Association for Baltic Studies, believes that the increase in the migration flow is due to the seasonal factor.
— The warmer it is, the more comfortable it is for migrants to move around. In addition, the attitude of the settlers to the news background could change. Last year, Arab and African refugees may have been alarmed by events in Eastern Europe, this year, perhaps, what is happening has become more familiar, he explained.
The interlocutor adds that Lithuania’s attempts to recover compensation from Belarus are unlikely to succeed.
— I do not recall such cases in the history of world jurisprudence. I suspect that Lithuanian politicians are simply generating news stories to distract their own citizens from the difficult economic situation. Here, there are talks about the Russian military threat, compensation for migrants and much more,” he noted.
Mikhail Neizhmakov, director of analytical projects at the Agency for Political and Economic Communications, says that legal litigation is unlikely to become a serious instrument of pressure on Minsk.
— Consideration of the case can last for years. Depending on the nature of relations between the two countries, Vilnius can either renounce its claims, which will become one of the noticeable symbolic gestures, or try to achieve some concessions, even small and symbolic ones, for such a refusal, the specialist added.
The expert believes that attempts at international litigation will constantly appear on the Lithuanian news agenda.
– The government of the republic and relevant departments get another opportunity to demonstrate activity. Of course, part of the Lithuanian public will quickly get tired of this topic. But some citizens will follow the plot, and politicians will periodically stir up interest in the topic,” Neizhmakov concluded.
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