Belarusian Foreign Minister proposed modern ways to solve migration crisis in European Union

The results of the international conference on combating illegal migration were summed up in Minsk.

One hundred and fifty experts interested in promoting regional cooperation to resolve the migration crisis gathered at the National Library. Today, it is at its peak in the last 80 years. The purpose of the meeting is to convey information to the world community about the measures that Belarus is taking to improve the situation.

The EU countries need to return to the implementation of international agreements on the issue of combating illegal migration. This, one might say, is the main message of the international conference. Everyone who is here today is sure that we need to gather at the common table at least because the border is becoming a place of death for dozens of people.

The problem is aggravated by the inadequate response and indifference of the West, which, in fact, suffers first and foremost from the influx of migrants. The European authorities are essentially inactive in this matter, which is confirmed by the absence of official European delegations. Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are hiding the real state of affairs, not allowing volunteers and journalists into the border area. The number of deaths on the other side of the border is still unknown. By the way, representatives of the UN and the international refugee organization, who are present at the conference, refrained from commenting.

Dmitry Shevtsov, member of the House of Representatives, Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross: "Neither the Red Cross nor any other public human rights medical organizations had access to the border. And now this situation continues. Therefore, the society of these countries, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, they do not have control over the situation that is happening there. We see from our side, through the same barriers, when our employees from the State Border Committee tell, show videos, what kind of abuse of migrants is carried out from the territory of that country, and the citizens of these countries are in the dark, do not see and do not know what is happening there."

For Belarus, the problem of migration, as noted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, does not pose a serious threat. Here it is important for us that all flows of illegal refugees are under control - and work is being carried out continuously in this direction.

Yuri Nazarenko, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Belarus - Head of the Public Security Police: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs, in cooperation with the Russian Federation, is very actively involved in joint events. There are certain results, and today we are also identifying the organizers and illegal groups that are trying to pass through the territory of Belarus to the countries of the European Union."

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov proposed that the European Union solve the problem by working with the countries from which people are fleeing and establishing control over migration flows there. He emphasized Belarus's readiness for joint actions to find solutions.

Maxim Ryzhenkov: "This topic is important for the West today. They see its problematic nature. They understand the essence. They know that they need to cooperate. But there must be political will for this. And there is no political will today. I say again, how and to whom can we explain that all this went on for three years, people were beaten at the border. How can we explain that these problems were created for old Europe by these illegal migrants? Who will answer for this? That at the time they did not build normal, good, mutually beneficial cooperation with Belarus, with Russia. On the contrary, three years ago they destroyed it." As we can see, so far the only tools that Western countries use are physical force and intimidation of migrants. But there is a solution to this problem. At least for a start, the EU countries should unfreeze the curtailed cross-border cooperation projects and move on to a constructive dialogue."