Lukashenko already threatened at the end of May to open the “gates of Europe” in retaliation for European sanctions. “The immigrants were picked up here by the group. But now: forget it. You can catch them yourself.”
Entering the European Union secretly
It seems that the Belarusian president is keeping his promise. Since the beginning of June, people from the Middle East suddenly appeared on the border of Belarus with Lithuania. They are secretly trying to enter the European Union.
This is how things go. Many immigrants cannot travel to the European Union by plane, but from Istanbul and Baghdad you can go to Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Recently, larger planes were flown from Baghdad.
Through Belarus to the European Union
From Minsk, migrants are then taken to the land border with Lithuania – and thus the European Union. On purpose, with the help of Lukashenko’s system.
“Here we are,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Simonetti said this week. She visited the border by helicopter. “In a few weeks we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of people crossing the border illegally.” About 100 people come from Belarus every week. Usually there are 100 a year.
Lithuanian authorities say larger groups of people are gathering in Minsk to come to the border soon. Yesterday, 350 Iraqis reportedly arrived in Minsk.
What is happening in Belarus?
In the summer of 2020, huge demonstrations erupted in Belarus against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years and has been dubbed the ‘last dictator of Europe’. Lukashenko declared himself the winner of the elections, but many Belarusians did not believe the result and took to the streets.
The protests are now about to be extinguished. The reason: Lukashenko’s brutal performance. Protesters, journalists, and opposition members were sentenced to years in prison and tortured. The opposition largely fled abroad, especially to neighboring Lithuania.
It is no coincidence that Lukashenko sends asylum seekers to Lithuania. Lithuania welcomed immigrants from the Belarusian opposition with open arms. As revenge, Lukashenko now sends a group of immigrants whom Lithuania is not so eager to get.
“Border guards help Lukashenko”
The Lithuanian prime minister said the Belarusian border police were “not cooperating” in the fight against immigration. Remarkably, the border has been closed to people fleeing Belarus since October 2020. It seems that Pevsteged confirmed that the migrants are receiving assistance from Lukashenko’s border guards Video who came out.
In the video, two Belarusian border guards were secretly filmed by their Lithuanian colleagues on the other side of the border. It seems that Belarusians are covering their footprints. Just before the photos were taken, border guards were said to have helped a group of people covertly cross the border. Just as President Lukashenko promised.
Revenge of EU sanctions عقوبات
The redirection of migrants is revenge not only from Lithuania, but from the entire European Union, which announced sanctions after the Lukashenko regime hijacked a Ryanair plane in order to arrest critical journalist Roman Protasevic.
Protasevich is now publicly humiliated by the Lukashenko regime. Reporter Eva Hartog tells us how it goes:
European Union foreign ministers will meet next Monday to determine the exact sanctions. The Belarusian opposition called for harsh penalties. The question is whether it will happen: some EU countries have trade relations with Belarus that they do not want to lose.
The European Union asks for help
Lithuania has already asked the European Union to help guard the border. “In principle, there is an agreement,” said the head of the Lithuanian border guards. “We will have EU border guards on the border between Lithuania and Belarus from July.”
Migrants come mainly from Iraq and Syria. Estimated to pay thousands of euros for the trip. Whoever gets caught ends up in a Lithuanian tent camp – and in a brutal political game by Lukashenko.
