EU accuses Belarus of hybrid warfare as tensions at Polish border rise

Clashes broke out at the Polish border on Monday between Polish police and Middle Eastern migrants coming from Belarus. As the crisis at the Poland-Belarus border worsens, Poland and Germany accuse Belarus of exploiting refugees to destabilize the West.

After migrants were denied entry to Poland on Monday, tensions escalated and clashes ensued. Videos show Polish officers spraying chemicals at migrants and Polish police being hit with objects from the Belarusian side.

Poland and other EU countries are accusing Belarus of trying to provoke a new refugee crisis in Europe, a move they are calling “hybrid warfare.” Officials claim this war is being waged in revenge for their criticism of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the European sanctions imposed in 2020.

Lukashenko responded by saying that he was “not threatening anyone. But you have put us in such circumstances that we are forced to react. And we’re reacting."

Belarus is said to have issued special visas allowing migrants to fly into the country from the Middle East. Belarus’s state-owned agency has arranged their travel and access to the Polish border, according to The Guardian.

More than 10,000 migrants were escorted to the Polish border by Belarusian authorities, promising them safe passage to Europe. Many of those seeking to enter Poland are fleeing war-torn and poverty-racked countries in the Middle East.

German Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said Poland needs the support of the “whole of the democratic world” to deal with this politically organized migration and support an orderly migration to Europe.

“Poland or Germany can’t handle this alone. We must help the Polish government secure their external border. This would actually be the task of the European Commission. I’m now appealing to them to take action,” he said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said, “Belarus must stop putting people’s lives at risk. The instrumentalization of migrants for political purposes by Belarus is unacceptable.”

A Polish government spokesperson said 3,000 to 4,000 migrants were gathering near the border on Tuesday. “We expect that there may be an escalation of this type of action on the Polish border in the near future, which will be of an armed nature,” he said.