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Brussels plans to take new sanctions against Belarus, as the migration crisis on the border with Poland gets bogged down. Monday, November 15, 3,000 to 4,000 migrants are still stranded, waiting to be able to enter Europe.
On Sunday November 14, Poland arrested and returned 50 migrants across the border with Belarus. In the midst of a migratory crisis, the country fears a larger forced passage attempt. Brussels must decide on new sanctions against Belarus on Monday, November 15, but for some experts, it is difficult to believe that they will be able to change the situation. “The idea behind would possibly be to have a transformation, a modification of Belarusian policy. However, it should be known that Alexander Lukashenko has been President of Belarus since 1994 and that his policy has never changed, that the regime has been under sanctions, or that these sanctions have been lifted “, recalls Alexandra Goujon, specialist in Belarus.
Sanctions decided on Monday are expected to primarily target airline executives and travel agencies involved in migrant smuggling. However, the European Union is not only expected on sanctions. “The answer must be twofold, not only economic, it must also come to the aid of these refugees who are tossed about at the border”, estimates William Leday, professor at Sciences Po Paris on international relations. Since the start of the crisis, at least ten migrants have died, according to humanitarian organizations.