The leader of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Germany’s Manfred Weber, relaunched on Wednesday 27 October the idea of mobilising the European budget to finance anti-migrant fences at the EU’s external borders, notably with Belarus, a few days after several Member States had made unsuccessful requests (see EUROPE 12818/1).
Mr Weber said on Twitter that he did not understand why the EU could not finance a barrier with Belarus. “There is a hybrid war going on. Lithuania, Latvia and others deserve our full support including funds for a physical border if needed”, he said.
On Wednesday 27 October, two Dutch MEPs, Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA) and Thijs Reuten (S&D), opposed such measures which would prevent people from seeking protection.
EU funds should instead be used to create centres so that these people’s requests for protection can be properly processed and so that they can be received in “dignified conditions”, they said.
The two MEPs visited Lithuania and Poland on 25 and 26 October - in the latter country, however, it was not possible to make further progress in the border area with Belarus due to the state of emergency declared by the Polish government.
And the testimonies received on the spot from NGOs or people met in centres prove that “the authorities of these countries ultimately act like the Belarusian regime”, said Mrs Strik, citing immediate pushback, without “any distinction between children and adults, sick people or not” and without taking into account the asylum applications submitted.
The Greens/EFA MEP also said that Polish authorities are turning away 500-600 people a day. With regard to Lithuania, she deplored the fact that the Frontex staff responsible for fundamental rights are not allowed to monitor the agency’s operational activities on the spot. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)