Barbed wire, violent push-backs and beatings against refugees not justified - UN at EU Parliament

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi criticised the European Union’s handling of the migrant situation at the Polish-Belarussian border at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday.
He once again appealed to the EU to resolve the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border, despite the associated challenges.
“These challenges simply do not justify the knee-jerk reaction we have seen in some places - the irresponsible xenophobic discourse, the walls and barbed wire, the violent push-backs that include the beating of refugees and naked migrants, sometimes stripping and dumping them in rivers or leaving them to drown in seas,” said Grandi addressing members of the European Parliament.
In the ensuing debate, the members of parliament discussed the current situation. Parliamentarians particularly criticised the inconsistent implementation of the common European asylum law and the difficulties in finding an agreement on reforming the law. Others questioned the integrity of the EU in matters of migration and displacement, while some defended the countries’ actions at the borders as protection measures.
2,000 to 4,000 migrants are currently stuck in the border area between Belarus and Poland. Both countries have deployed soldiers in the area which caused the fear of escalation in observers.
Germany and Poland strengthened joint border patrols on the frontier with Belarus on October 20 and put a barbed wire fence up to inhibit people from entering the EU.
Tensions between Brussels and Minsk have been escalating in recent months, with the EU accusing Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately sending non-EU migrants to the border in response to sanction decisions taken by the EU.

SOT, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: “UNHCR and the international organisation of migration have appealed for an urgent resolution of the situation at the border between Belarus and Poland. And for immediate, unhindered access to people on the move to ensure provision of humanitarian assistance, identification of those in need of protection and access to procedures in Belarus for those there who wish to seek asylum. But looking at the broader picture in Europe, these challenges simply do not justify the knee-jerk reaction we have seen in some places - the irresponsible xenophobic discourse, the walls and barbed wire, the violent push-backs that include the beating of refugees and migrants, sometimes stripping naked and dumping them in rivers or leaving them to drown in seas.” *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*

SOT, Nicolas Bay, Member of the European Parliament: “But Europe has helped and we must not forget that more than 5 million refugees have found protection in the European Union in recent years. Hundred of thousands of asylum procedures are currently ongoing and billions of euros have been invested to help countries in the region accommodate and protect vulnerable people. We need a real European policy that allows us to defend our borders and our values. To screen the people that arrive and quickly distinguish between those in need of international protection and those who are not.” *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*

SOT, Sophie in ‘t Veld, Member of the European Parliament: “And today we are fortunately the most prosperous, safe and free continent in the world. And instead of helping refugees, we’re busy turning Europe into a gated community. If I hear the president of the European council say ‘yeah sure, Europe too can pay for building a wall at the borders of Europe’, it becomes, as we say in Dutch, I get a cold heart, I find it frightening.” *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*

SOT, Sophie in ‘t Veld, Member of the European Parliament: “We are 415 million citizens, we can handle this. But there is one condition. And that is that we speak with one voice. Now here we get to the European council. 27 government leaders, or they call themselves leaders, but for years now they refuse to agree together on a common asylum policy. But they very readily agree with Mr Erdogan or, well maybe not with Mr Lukashenko, but we’re paying Libyan militias to do our dirty work. The 27 should finally take their responsibility and agree on a common European asylum and migration policy.” *MULTIPLE SHOTS AT SOURCE*

#Belarus #Migrants #EuropeanParliament #Poland

Video ID: 20211110-074

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