Germany’s Interior Minister: Key to resolving migration crisis on EU borders probably lies in Moscow

Organised groups of foreigners in Minsk. It is not ruled out that they will be taken to the state border of Belarus later. According to readers, foreigners do shopping in the Galleria Minsk mall and withdraw money from ATMs. The shopping centre is monitored by the security service, and a traffic police car is constantly moving along Victors’ Avenue. Minsk, October 2021.

Photo: Belsat readers

The key to resolving the current migration crisis probably lies in Moscow, Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said at a press conference in Berlin on October, 20.

“In Belarus and through Belarus, state-organised, at least state-supported, smuggling takes place. The regime in Belarus has now significantly expanded the list of states that can enter visa-free. It has been doing so for quite some time <…>This is a form of hybrid threat, using migrants as a political weapon. This is a major problem that we can only solve together in the international community and in the European Union,” the minister stressed.

In addition, Seehofer made mention of Germany’s intention to support the Polish government ‘in warding off irregular migration from Belarus to Poland or Lithuania and Latvia’. He also suggested that the sides should ‘carry out joint border inspections’ on the German-Polish border (in the terrtory of Poland).

On October 18, EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs met in Luxembourg; among others, the participants touched upon the Belarusian issue. According to HR/VP Josep Borrell, the Eastern Partnership ‘continues being troubled by Belarus’. The ministers also discussed would-be introducing the fifth sanctions package against the Lukashenka regime for their fostering illegal migration to the European Union through Belarus.

belsat.eu