thousands of migrants trapped on the border between Poland and Belarus

Thousands of migrants are trapped in the heart of a political crisis, pushed by Belarus to reach the border, and stranded on the other side by the Polish army. 15,000 soldiers blocking the area, the police do not want to let anyone pass. Scenes of chaos, however, do not discourage the candidates at the start. In Beirut (Lebanon), Rabih Ibrahim hopes to leave in the coming days for Europe with his son, in order to flee the economic crisis which is ravaging his country. In the Lebanese capital, several travel agencies offer direct flights to Minsk (Belarus) for a little over 1,000 euros, and they are snapping up.

Iraqis, met by France Télévisions teams, confirm that entry into Belarusian territory “is easy”. At the border, the tension escalated, including between soldiers from the two countries. Poland accuses the Minsk regime of helping migrants cross. Ammar, a Syrian who has lived in Belgium for six years, came to Poland to find his mother, who has just crossed the border. “They cut the fences and let them cross into Poland. Sometimes they help people cross, sometimes they hit them, sometimes they take them to unknown places, as far as Lithuania “, he confides. On Sunday evening, the Polish authorities fear an escalation of violence: 3,000 to 4,000 people are now believed to be present along the border.