Belarus' border service: Attempts to push back refugees to Belarus from EU continue
MINSK, 22 November (BelTA) - The situation on the border remains tense, and attempts to push back, with the use of brutal force, groups of refugees from the territories of neighboring EU member states continue, the Belarusian State Border Committee told BelTA on 20 November.
"Over the past day, Lithuanian security forces tried to push back nine groups with a total number of more than 140 people to Belarus, Polish security forces - 12 groups of about 350 people. On the border with Latvia there was one attempt to push back at least 20 refugees," the State Border Committee said.
Now there are three groups of refugees near the Belarusian border in the adjacent territory. They are in the most difficult conditions, among them are women and children. On the Polish side there are two groups of more than 110 people, in Latvia and Lithuania - one group in each country of more than 30 people in total.
"All these people do not consider Belarus as the country of their final destination. They refuse to cross into the Belarusian territory and intend to go to Europe to obtain a refugee status," the committee added.
