Lukashenko Proposes Humanitarian Corridor for 2,000 Refugees

By Al Mayadeen
Source: Agencies
18 Nov 2021 18:21

The Belarusian press secretary discloses that there are around 7,000 refugees on Belarusian land, while the president proposes to build a humanitarian corridor for some 2,000 refugees with Germany.

Lukashenko asserts that Belarus will not forcibly expel refugees back to Iraq, Syria or any other country.

According to BELTA, a Belarusian news agency, the press secretary of the Belarusian presidency Natalya Eismont discloses that there are around 7,000 refugees on Belarusian land. Among this number are up to 2,000 refugees scattered across makeshift camps on the Polish border. Eismont indicated that Minsk will not dismiss the refugees by force.

The Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, in a conversation with German chancellor Angela Merkel, proposed to build a humanitarian corridor for some 2,000 refugees: "The EU is establishing a humanitarian corridor for 2,000 refugees currently at the camp. We vow to assist the remaining 5,000 in returning back home, wherever possible and if they so desire," Eismont said in a video shared on the Pul Pervogo channel on Telegram.

German Chancellor Merkel will be holding talks with the European Union to aid in refugee assistance: "According to the agreements, Angela Merkel will hold negotiations with the EU, including on the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to Germany," Eismont said.

Iraqi plane 'by consent'

Furthermore, the Iraqi government is flying 431 refugees back to Baghdad, according to Majid al-Kilani, the Iraqi Consul in Russia. The names of the migrants, who were stranded at the border, were handed to Minsk airport authorities and registered to leave on a plane to Baghdad provided by the Iraqi government.

Eismont reassures: "Yes, unfortunately, only about 400 refugees have agreed to return home. In all, to be precise, in the plane that left today there were 374 passengers, mostly Iraqi citizens."

Refugees are scattered across makeshift camps on the Belarus-Poland border.

Eismont asserted that the people at the borders are refugees fleeing their countries and that Poland, in contrast with Belarus, has tried to expel the refugees by force after crossing the borders, accusing the European Union of not fulfilling their promises.

"We're fulfilling our promises, while the EU has not yet fulfilled a single obligation," she added. Such a statement comes at a time where the EU agreed on sanctions against Belarus. "Moreover, the EU has not even commenced the expert-level negotiations, as agreed by the President of Belarus and the Chancellor of Germany during their second conversation," she noted.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asserted that the fate of the refugees will be based on their consent: "The president directed, during a meeting with immigration departments and other bodies, to facilitate the return of refugees to their countries and implement their other wishes. But the only condition is desire. We will not [forcibly] expel them to Iraq, Syria, or any other country," she added.

Russia aiding in the migrant crisis

Last Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to help resolve the crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border.

"We are ready to do everything possible to help [resolve the crisis], if, of course, there is something that depends on us," Putin said on Rossiya 1.

The President denied Saturday that Moscow has any relation to the migrant crisis that has seen hundreds of migrants coming from West Asia getting stuck on the Belarusian-Polish border.

President Putin cast the blame for the crisis on the West's policies in West Asia and condemned Polish allegations that claim Russian involvement.