UN human rights boss says Poland-Belarus border migrant crisis ‘intolerable’; Russia blames EU
- Michelle Bachelet urges de-escalation; German chancellor Angela Merkel asks Putin to press Belarus on ‘inhumane instrumentalisation of migrants’
- Thousands of people trapped in freezing weather at the border, where presence of troops from both sides has raised fears of a confrontation
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has branded the migrant crisis on the border between Poland and Belarus “intolerable” and said asylum seekers should not spend another night stranded.
“I am appalled that large numbers of migrants and refugees continue to be left in a desperate situation in near-freezing temperatures at the Belarus-Poland border. I urge the states involved to take immediate steps to de-escalate and resolve this intolerable situation,” Bachelet said in a statement on Wednesday.
She said that under international law people should not be prevented from seeking asylum. “Under international law, no one should ever be prevented from seeking protection, and individual consideration must be given to their protection needs.”
Migrants trapped in Belarus made multiple attempts to force their way into Poland overnight, Warsaw said on Wednesday, announcing that it had reinforced the border as the EU prepares to impose sanctions on Belarus over the crisis.
