[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The dispute between Poland and Belarus over Middle Eastern refugees trapped in the border area is intensifying as both countries try to push the refugees onto the other side. Seven people have reportedly died as soldiers from both sides fired shots and pushed the refugees toward the opposing border.
According to CNN on the 8th (local time), the Polish Ministry of Defense stated in a press release, "The Belarusian government is moving immigrants en masse to the Polish border, and the Polish government is prepared for any situation." It added, "Currently, 14,000 troops, including 4,500 border guards and 9,500 military personnel, are stationed along the border with Belarus." CNN reported that as the dispute over pushing immigrants between the two countries continues, seven refugees have died caught in the conflict.
According to the BBC, the refugee pushback dispute between the two countries escalated last month. After the European Union (EU) announced in May that it would impose economic sanctions on Belarus following an incident where the Belarusian government forcibly landed a passenger plane to arrest an anti-government journalist, the Belarusian government pressured EU countries by threatening to send Middle Eastern refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan into their territories.
According to the Polish government, about 2,000 refugees are currently trapped between the two countries' borders, with hundreds attempting to cross into Poland daily. The Polish government condemned Belarus for flooding refugees to destabilize Poland and the EU, and it is reportedly spending 350 million euros (approximately 477 billion KRW) to build a border wall along the border with Belarus.
Not only Poland but also Lithuania and Greece, which are severely affected by Belarusian refugees, are considering installing border walls and have requested budget support from the EU for the installations.
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