Belarus: migration crisis and humanitarian drama

For several days, thousands of migrants, sent by plane mainly from Iraq, have been pouring in at the border between Poland and Belarus in scandalous conditions (more than 10 deaths have already been reported).  Orchestrated and instrumentalized by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, this migratory crisis follows the sanctions imposed on his regime by the EU last May, after the hijacking of a plane carrying a dissident.

Brussels immediately denounced this as unacceptable blackmail and promised new sanctions against Minsk. Under pressure, Lukashenko is stalling and says he wants to ensure the return of migrants “to their homes”. Poland, for its part, is talking about building a wall on the border… Although talks at the European level have begun, the crisis is likely to last and we know in advance who will pay the highest price…