The death of a Syrian migrant highlights the tragedy unfolding on the Belarusian border
The body of a young Syrian was found in Poland near the Belarusian border, Polish police said on Saturday, amid mounting international tension over a migration crisis that the European Union says has been orchestrated by Minsk.
Thousands of immigrants from the Middle East take refuge in icy conditions in the forests on the border between Belarus and the EU states, Poland and Lithuania, which refuse to let them cross.
Some have already died and there are fears for the safety of the rest as harsh winter conditions set in.
“Yesterday, in the forest, near the border, near Wolka Terechowska, the body of a young Syrian was found,” Podlaska police said on Twitter.
Police said they had not been able to determine the cause of death at the scene.
The discovery comes amid growing international tension over the migration crisis, with Belarusian neighbors warning that the situation could escalate into a military conflict and US President Joe Biden expressing concern.
Belarus said on Saturday that the number of migrants arriving at a makeshift camp on the border was increasing daily and that a group of up to 100 had crossed into Polish territory.
“There is a group (of immigrants) near the crossing point … In fact, they are on Polish territory. Up to 100 people,” the RIA news agency quoted the Belarusian state border committee as saying.
The Polish Border Guard said Belarusian soldiers had torn down a section of the temporary fence erected by Poland to deter migrants overnight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said Belarus has nothing to do with the migration crisis.
On Saturday, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski told private broadcaster RMF FM that he would meet with US National Intelligence Director Avril Haines to discuss the situation next week. He said that around 1,500 people were camped out at the border and that this number was growing.
Poland, Austria, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called on international aid organizations to organize humanitarian and medical assistance in Belarus to “avoid tragedies and prevent (a) humanitarian crisis” at the Polish border.
The Polish Border Guard said there were 219 attempts to cross the border illegally on Friday. The Lithuanian border guard says 144 migrants tried to enter on Friday.
(REUTERS)
