According to officials from Poland’s Interior Ministry, the number of migrants camped out on the Belarusian side of the country’s eastern border has fallen. This may mark a sign of de-escalation in the multi-faced confrontation between the European Union and Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. According to authorities. Belarusian officials have sent buses to collect people from the sprawling tent city that was erected earlier this month. Belarus has confirmed that they provided the buses to transport some migrants away from the border crossing. The country also stated that they would be providing the migrants with shelter in warehouses. On Wednesday, Polish officials confirmed that the number of migrants seeking to cross into Poland from Belarus had fallen.
Although the reduction of tension at the physical border is unlikely to ease broader tensions between Belarus and the EU, the actions may mark a step in the right direction for Belarus. the EU has accused the country and Mr. Lukashenko of encouraging thousands of immigrants, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, to attempt to enter the EU via its eastern border as retribution for a series of sanctions placed on Minsk. Poland has raised concerns that the tensions will continue for the time being. On Tuesday, 160 individuals attempted to cross the Polish border and enter into EU territory. This figure is down from 224 attempts on Monday, according to data from Poland’s border authorities. On Tuesday, the Polish border guards used water cannons and other tactics to disperse crowds attempting to cross the border. According to official reports, roughly 60 people cut through a wire fence to illegally enter the country. The group was reportedly aided by Belarusian border personnel. The group was pushed back by Polish border guards.
Read More: Belarus Moves Some Migrants Away From Poland’s Border
