Estonian Free PressEstonian Free Press
  • National Security
    • United States
    • United Kingdom
    • Europe
    • Estonia
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Moldova
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
  • Counterterrorism
  • Cybersecurity
  • Intelligence

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest National Security News directly to your inbox.

What's Hot

Extremists Praise ‘Martyr’ Who Attacked FBI’s Cincinnati Office, Declare ‘War’ on FBI ‘Has Begun’

August 12, 2022

DISA Flags Contractors’ Inappropriate Use of Government Computers

August 11, 2022

Labour vows to end ‘outrageous’ energy premiums faced by prepayment customers

August 11, 2022
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact
Friday, August 12
Estonian Free PressEstonian Free Press
  • National Security
    • United States
    • United Kingdom
    • Europe
    • Estonia
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Moldova
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
  • Counterterrorism
  • Cybersecurity
  • Intelligence
en English
en Englishet Estonianlv Latvianlt Lithuanianpl Polishro Romanianru Russianuk Ukrainian
Trending
  • Extremists Praise ‘Martyr’ Who Attacked FBI’s Cincinnati Office, Declare ‘War’ on FBI ‘Has Begun’
  • DISA Flags Contractors’ Inappropriate Use of Government Computers
  • Labour vows to end ‘outrageous’ energy premiums faced by prepayment customers
  • Chișinăul instituie control asupra liderilor separatiști de la Tiraspol
  • FBI sought nuclear documents in Trump raid: Report
  • The Inflation Reduction Act sends a foreign-policy message to US friends and foes alike
  • The uncomfortable economic truth behind Xi Jinping’s Taiwan threats
  • Truss putting millions of vulnerable people ‘at risk of real destitution’, says Sunak
Subscribe
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Estonian Free PressEstonian Free Press
Home » Migrants camped in Belarus warehouse still hope to get to EU

Migrants camped in Belarus warehouse still hope to get to EU

December 24, 20212 Mins Read Europe
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Sleeping on mattresses in a Belarusian warehouse, hundreds of Middle Eastern migrants are still clinging to the hope of a future in western Europe as the year draws to a close.

The nearly 600 migrants, from countries including Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria, are among thousands who flew to Belarus this year and tried to cross the forested border into Poland.

The European Union says Belarus encouraged them to come and then pushed them towards the border in a deliberate attempt to destabilise its eastern frontier. Belarus denies orchestrating the crisis and its veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko has said it is up to the migrants themselves to decide if they want to head west or return to their home countries.

Staff and volunteers of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working to register people willing to go back. But some are reluctant to do so, having spent thousands of dollars to get this far.

A migrant from Syria who gave his name as Yemen Jndali told Reuters: “My plans are to stay, because I can’t go to the forest or back to Syria. Syria is nothing. I don’t have anything. No house, school, work – I don’t have anything.”

Many small children are among the hundreds of people who spend their time sleeping, queuing for food, wandering aimlessly around the huge warehouse or playing half-hearted games of football.

Mohamed Refaad, senior operations coordinator with the IOM, said the government, local authorities and Belarusian Red Cross were all working to support the migrants but more help was still needed with food, shelter and education for the children.

“We are working to increase efforts to supply all these needs,” he said.

Yuri Karay, a Belarusian presidential aide, said those who had declined the offer of homeward flights were still bent on getting to Europe. If any wanted to stay in Belarus, “they must understand that there are no unemployment benefits here, so people have to work for a living,” he said.

Jndali, the migrant from Syria, said he was still optimistic because he did not believe that children as young as one year old could just be left where they were.

Asked about his chances of getting to Europe, he said: “I think there is hope.”

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email

Articles Liés

Kraken and Thales Sign Agreement

August 11, 2022 Europe

FNSS: A Globally trusted and respected Turkish partner in defence

August 11, 2022 Europe

EU to stand firm in clash with Poland over cash, officials say

August 11, 2022 Europe

Milrem Robotics Deliver First THeMIS UGV to Spain

August 10, 2022 Europe

Poland warns of repercussions if Brussels keeps blocking funds

August 10, 2022 Europe

First STRYKER with 30 mm Turret Delivered

August 9, 2022 Europe
Don't Miss
Cybersecurity

DISA Flags Contractors’ Inappropriate Use of Government Computers

By woe whAugust 11, 20220

The following open letter was issued to Defense Information Systems Agency Contractors by Douglas W.…

Labour vows to end ‘outrageous’ energy premiums faced by prepayment customers

August 11, 2022

Chișinăul instituie control asupra liderilor separatiști de la Tiraspol

August 11, 2022

FBI sought nuclear documents in Trump raid: Report

August 11, 2022
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Our Picks

The uncomfortable economic truth behind Xi Jinping’s Taiwan threats

August 11, 2022

Truss putting millions of vulnerable people ‘at risk of real destitution’, says Sunak

August 11, 2022

Gavrilița, întrevedere de rămas bun cu Ambasadorul Lituaniei la Chișinău

August 11, 2022

Liz Truss appears to forget where she is at Conservative hustings

August 11, 2022

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest National Security News directly to your inbox.

© 2022 Estonian Free Press. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.