Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Belarus is not a staging post for migrants

An archive photo

MINSK DISTRICT, 27 October (BelTA) – It is unacceptable how European neighbors of Belarus treat migrants at the border, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told reporters during his working trip to Minsk District, BelTA reports.

During the media scrum, journalists noted that bodies of refugees are dumped into Belarus from the territory of neighboring countries almost every day. Belarus conducts the necessary investigations and tries to establish the identity of the victims.

“They dump corpses not just daily, but several times a day. Some corpses are badly mutilated. I told the press secretary: there is no need to conceal anything. Show what they are doing. We have these images. We need to show the ‘civilized’ world what a ‘Garden of Eden’ they have there,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

The president recalled how the situation with refugees developed. At first, Belarus helped the European Union protect its external border. The parties implemented joint migration projects. Yet, when the European Union imposed sanctions and launched an economic war against Belarus, the head of state immediately warned: Belarus will no longer help the EU fight against illegal migration.

“Our position is crystal clear: we are not a staging post. We will not be catching anyone here. Moreover, it was you who invited them. Let them in,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko.

He called the actions of the European neighbors who kill refugees and dump them into Belarus or bury them near the border unconscionable.

“We believed them. Even when we did not, we still met them halfway all the time, lent them our helping hand. And they hurled stones at us. But we are ready to get over this. We should look forward. We should be able to leave it behind and move forward, to negotiate. We are ready for this,” the president emphasized.

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