Statement by Larisa Belskaya at the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants

Statement by Larysa Belskaya, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the UN Office and other International  Organisations in Geneva, at the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants of the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council 

Geneva, 26 June 2023

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, for cooperation during his visit to Belarus and preparation of his report.

It should be noted that the exceptional politicization by the European Union of the situation that emerged on its eastern border in the fall of 2021 was the trigger of the visit to Belarus.

Belarus was not the source and reason of this situation; our territory is only one of the many routes of migrants and refugees to the EU countries.

News feeds are full of stories about hundreds of dead migrants in the Mediterranean and the English Channel, about the cruel treatment of migrants in the EU countries. However, for the EU, just a few thousand people at the Belarusian border suddenly became an “insurmountable difficulty” which the EU used for baseless accusations of Belarus in the alleged instrumentalization of migration.

It should be underlined that it was for the first time the territory of Belarus was used on a large scale and purposefully for the transition to the EU.

The attackers took advantage of the fact that the relevant agencies of the EU countries refused to cooperate with Belarus on regulating migration. The blocking of cooperation initiated by the EU has unbended the hands of traffickers, including in the territory of the EU countries.

Law enforcement agencies of Belarus, fighting alone with the problem, for their part, took measures to stop the illegal movement of migrants. Dozens of travel companies have been suspended from applying for tourist visas to Belarus. The number of visa refusals has increased. Additional control has been introduced at the entrance to the country, as well as at the National Airport.

However, 2,000 people who tried to enter the EU through Belarus in the fall of 2021 moved towards the border.
We saw such marches in Europe during the 2015 refugee crisis.

These people were stopped by the Polish authorities at the border with water cannons, dogs and rubber bullets. Belarus had undertaking what was in our power to avoid casualties among these people, namely, provided them with temporary shelter, food and medical assistance.

From the very beginning of this emergency situation, Belarus cooperated with the UNHCR and the IOM, allowing them to enter the border zone.

The UNFPA, the UNICEF, the WHO also worked with migrants in the temporary shelter. We are grateful to the volunteers and the Red Cross, which coordinated the collection and distribution of humanitarian aid. The Belarusian authorities allowed media access to the border, making it possible to gather first-hand testimonies when people were willing to communicate.

Belarus supported the visit of the Special Rapporteur on migrants to the border, also acting in line with the policy of openness on all issues regarding the 2021 migrant crisis.

However, by the time of his visit (summer 2022), the situation had changed, thanks to the measures taken by the Government and the support provided to migrants by international organizations. A group of people at the border was resettled, including through a voluntary return program.

I would like to note that today the Belarusian route to Europe, unfortunately, is actively used. But in Europe they no longer want to accept migrants of other races who move along this route. Therefore, Poland and Lithuania have changed their legislation and are openly violating their obligations regarding the procedure for granting asylum. Moreover, brute physical force is encouraged to push people out. The EU condones this: every day Belarusian border guards observe beaten people being pushed across the border, deprived of the opportunity to exercise their right to ask for protection or asylum.

The problem of migrants and refugees on the eastern border of Europe has exposed the inhuman politics of the “European Garden of Eden”. The EU is now openly discussing financing fences and walls. The governments of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia are at the forefront of this policy, actively contributing to the stalemate that, among other things, feeds the criminal networks of illegal migration and human trafficking.

The large-scale restrictive measures of the West against Belarus, the unilateral termination by the EU and the governments of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia of interaction with the Belarusian border services cause serious damage to migration management.

Belarus will make every effort within its resources and capabilities to ensure the human rights of migrants and will continue to interact with the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.

We call on the EU to heed the opinion of the mandate holder and return to practical cooperation on the issue of effective management of the border shared with Belarus.

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