One of the first victims among migrants on the Belarus-Poland border is Syrian Ahmad al-Hassan. He lost his life trying to cross the icy waters of a river. It is unknown whether Belarusian soldiers forced him to cross the barbed wire border with Poland. Several publications speak of a regular tactic of the Belarusians.
The 19-year-old was one of many Syrians who arrived via Minsk at the EU’s external borders believing the promises on social media that he would arrive in Western Europe without much difficulty. Ahmad was buried in the village of Bohoniki by descendants of Tatars who settled in the area in the 17th century. As Muslims, they felt compelled to bury the 19-year-old as if he were one of them.
Elderly Eugenia lives in the village and is shocked by what is happening near the border: “What is happening here is tragic. It’s cold, people are freezing. How is it possible for someone to allow all this without intervening?
The deportations violate international law
Many residents along the border help migrants trapped in the no-go zone by giving them blankets and food. At the same time, there are several dozen members of NGOs in the area, which secretly, in order to avoid angry reactions of the population, treat the immigrants as best they can.
“The first thing the border guards do is take the mobile phones from the migrants,” said Agatha Kalodzieg of the humanitarian organization Ocalenie. We have lawyers, but often that is not enough. “In violation of international law, border guards forcibly repatriate migrants even if they ask for help.”
Public opinion in Poland appears divided in opinion polls on the deteriorating situation on the border with Belarus. While 50% welcome deportations, 60% say immigrants should have access to the asylum process. Martin Duma, head of the Ibris polling institute, said that “many respondents do not want to appear inhuman” for this and are in favor of immigrants’ access to the asylum process.
Barbara Wesel, Poland
Edited by: Stefanos Georgakopoulos
DW
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