The Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland signed a declaration on 23 August calling, among other things, for the United Nations (UN) to address the problem of migrants and refugees coming from Belarus.
In their view, the UN, and in particular its High Commissioner for Refugees, should act to push Minsk to comply with international law. They point out that the current crisis is orchestrated, in their view, by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
“Weaponizing refugees and immigrants threatens the regional security of the European Union and constitutes a grave breach of human rights”, they say.
The four leaders also request financial and technical support from the EU. “Unity and urgent diplomatic, financial and technical support by the EU and its Member States are key to responding effectively to the challenge posed by the Lukashenko regime”.
Protection of the EU’s external borders is fundamental to this crisis, they say. They believe that it needs to be rethought.
At an extraordinary Home Affairs Council on 18 August, EU ministers reiterated their condemnation of the Belarusian regime’s use of migrants and refugees (see EUROPE 12773/16). They agreed that more help is needed to support countries affected by the flow of migrants.
“We agreed to deploy additional experts and agency teams, as well as all the necessary technical equipment, to these Member States to help increase reception capacities; to call on the European Commission for additional financial assistance; and, above all, to strengthen EU external border control”, said Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs.
In addition, Lithuania announced on 23 August that its 508-kilometre wall along the border with Belarus would be completed by September 2022. “The physical barrier is vital for us to repel this hybrid attack that the Belarusian regime is undertaking against Lithuania and the EU”, said Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte about the 3-metre high wall.
Through its Minister of Defence, Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland also announced on 23 August its intention to build a similar wall along its border with Belarus. He said on Twitter that soldiers would also be sent to support the border guards.
See the statement by the four Prime Ministers: https://bit.ly/3sSvYl3
See the statement of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council after the Home Affairs Council of 18 August: https://bit.ly/3gmzLSf (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)