Swedish Foreign Minister Says Migrants Should Apply for Asylum in Belarus

TOPSHOT - Migrants throw stones at Polish law enforcement officers as they attempt to cros
LEONID SHCHEGLOV/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images
Chris Tomlinson

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde has said migrants trying to force their way into the EU at the Poland border should attempt to claim asylum in Belarus or return to their home countries if they do not have a valid asylum claim.

Foreign Minister Linde told Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Radio this week that the migrants at the Polish border “have to seek asylum in Belarus” rather than trying to break into the European Union.

“They need to get humanitarian aid on the ground. Then, they have to be helped back to their countries if they don’t have asylum claims, or they have to seek asylum in Belarus,” she said.

“These poor refugees need help with blankets, mattresses, food, drinks, and so on. It could be a humanitarian disaster. It’s already terrible for many of the people who have been lured there,” Linde added.

Many of the migrants stuck at the border are Iraqis who flew to the Belarusian capital of Minsk before heading to the border area where they are now essentially stranded. In recent days, the Iraqi government has announced it will be providing flights to voluntarily repatriate its nationals, with the first flight expected on Thursday.

Aid group Grupa Granica has accused the Belarusian regime of purposely misinforming migrants, by telling them that they will be able to settle in Poland or Germany.

“This suggests attempts at raising the migrants’ hopes for a safe passage to western European countries, to then keep them in the camp at the Polish border, all in order to exert further pressure on the EU,” the group said.

The situation on the frontier between Belarus and Poland remains tense, with Tuesday seeing migrants hurl rocks and stones at Polish border police and reportedly even used “stun grenades”. At least seven Polish officials were reportedly injured during the clashes.

Polish authorities successfully repelled the migrant mob trying to cross into the country illegally with water cannons.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com

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