EU to increase sanctions on Belarus over illegal migrants

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EU to increase sanctions on Belarus over illegal migrants

Iraqi migrants talk to NGO Grupa Granica's representatives as they are surrounded by border guards and police officers after crossing the Belarusian-Polish border in Hajnowka, Poland, October 14th, 2021. REUTERS Kacper Pempel File Photo:

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 18 Reuters : The EU will consider further sanctions on Belarus, including on airlines, to increase pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko, who the EU accuses of helping illegal migrants to enter Poland and the Baltic states.

A stiffening of sanctions would follow broad measures issued on Belarus' economy in June over Lukashenko's crackdown on protesters following his disputed re-election in August 2020. The protesters say the election was rigged, which he denies.

Many EU states now accuse Lukashenko of encouraging illegal migrants, many from Iraq, Iran and Africa, to enter the European Union via Belarusian territory in a reactionary hybrid war that they say aims to destabilise the bloc.

We need to introduce stricter sanctions It means to put so-called tourism companies that are organising flights under sanctions the Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said as he arrived for a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg.

Then I also feel that we need to sanction Belavia absolutely so that it cannot receive any kind of support, he said, referring to the national airline. Although Belavia has already been banned from flying over EU airspace, it still leases aircrafts from EU countries, in particular Ireland.

Since August, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have reported a surge in illegal border crossings from Belarus. They accuse Minsk of flying in migrants from abroad and dispatching them to the EU.

Lukashenko denies the accusation and blames the West for what he says is a looming humanitarian catastrophe this winter after migrants were left frozen and stranded on the Belarusian-Polish border. Sweden, France, Italy and the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell all expressed support on Monday for further sanctions.

Belavia appeared wary of immediately preventing Ireland from leasing planes because of legal obligations on existing contracts, however Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that he was open to preventing future deals.

As long as Ireland wants to increase sanctions and pressure on the Belarusian regime, we've also got to make sure that is practicable and implementable, he told reporters in Luxembourg.