Thousands of migrants have been concentrated for days in the border crossing of Kuznica, on the border between Poland and Belarus, waiting to cross the border and enter the European Union (EU).Most are displaced Iraqi of the Kurdish ethnic group that have fled violence in their country.
Since June, the authorities of Poland and Lithuania (both EU member countries) have noticed an increase in the arrival of irregular migrants to their borders.The Polonous and Lithuanian authorities ensure that the Belarus government has displaced these people since their territory and is letting them cross the border freely.
According to the Lithuanian Government, about 4,000 people have entered illegally from Bierruse in recent months.For its part, Poland has deployed thousands of soldiers on the border to avoid the entry of migrants and prepares to build a wall.
In October, when the leaders of the member countries of the European Union met at the monthly summit, they opposed the construction of walls and fences to contain refugees because that meant going against the European reception and solidarity values.However, now several of these countries demand that the EU finance these border walls to protect their interests.
The pulse between Lukashenko and the EU
Belarus and the European Union maintain tense relations since August 2020, when bellrusic president, Aleksandr Lukashenko, won the presidential elections amid accusations of electoral fraud.Lukashenko has governed in Belarus for 27 years and is considered the last dictator of Europe.
The result of the elections caused mass demonstrations throughout the country that were repressed with violence by the Belarusian government.The international community, with the United States and the EU to the head, refused to recognize the results and approved economic sanctions against Belarus, which prohibit selling and exporting certain products to Belarus.
The tension escalation has worsened in recent months with the arrest of the opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, who was arrested by the Belaruse authorities for criticizing the Lukashenko regime.
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The European Union raised the sanctions, to which Belarus responded with the massive displacement of migrants to the borders of EU member countries.For this reason, these countries accuse Lukashenko of using migrants as "political weapon" to achieve their objectives.
This immigration crisis is also a reflection of the legacy of the Cold War, which for decades faced the United States and Russia and their respective political models.At present, this rivalry is still present in numerous international conflicts.
The Belarus government is the ally of Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and also occupies a strategic position within the European continent.That is why Russia supports Lukashenko's policies and gives him political and economic support.On the other hand, the European Union has allied with the United States in the sanctions to the Belarusian Government.
The border between Poland, Lithuania and Belarus represents a key passage place for the interests of Russia in Europe.For that reason, Belarus would be trying to destabilize the region causing a migratory conflict.
The failure of the European asylum system
The situation in Kuznica reminds the migration crisis of 2015, when more than one million people fleeing conflicts in Syria and other countries in the Middle East moved to Europe in the hope of starting a new life.But they met the doors closed.
The countries of the European Union did not expect such a high number of asylum seekers and did not know how to react.The main countries of arrival, located in southern Europe, were overwhelmed.Some governments closed their borders, sending security forces or building walls and fences, others improvised large fields of refugees with European funds.
Since then, the immigration crisis has become one of the biggest challenges for Europe.Initially, the EU established reception fees to accommodate migrants, but most member countries breached the agreement by putting the economic crisis and the impossibility of receiving refugees as an argument.The popularity of ultra -right policies also increased the rejection of reception.
The failure of reception policies has resulted in other systems that involve a violation of human rights, such as irregular deportations, the reinforcement of border patrols to avoid the entry of more people without taking into account their safety (as with theMigrant detention centers in Libya), or the controversial agreement with Turkey, where five million persons have been displaced from Europe to refugee fields.
The thousands of migrants who acquire today on the border of Belarus expect an opportunity to enter the European Union and avoid going back on the road.
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