Belarus–European Union border crisis

European Union officials on Nov. 10 accused Belarus of state-sponsored "trafficking" of human lives by luring desperate migrants to the Polish border, the edge of the EU, where many are now stuck in makeshift camps in freezing weather.

In a phone call on Nov. 10, Turkish and Polish foreign ministers discussed the migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told Zbigniew Rau that Turkey is tried to be shown as a part of the problem despite not being a party to it.

Turkey’s national flag-carrier, Turkish Airlines, was still flying migrants from Constantinople to Minsk twice a day despite the border crisis

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating a wave of migrants trying to illegally enter Poland from Belarus, saying the "attack" threatens to destabilize the European Union.

Turkish Airlines flights to Belarus are in no way aiding in illegal immigration traffic, the flag carrier said on Nov. 9.

Poland said it blocked a bid by hundreds of migrants to illegally enter the country from Belarus on Nov. 8, warning of an "armed" escalation as thousands more massed near the border.

As the latest grim chapter of Europe's migrant crisis unfolded, Washington and Brussels called on Minsk to stop what they described as an orchestrated influx.

Migrants massed on the Belarusian side of the border with Poland: Image: Polish Ministry of Defence

The Polish government called an extraordinary meeting of the crisis management team for 1pm Central Europe Time (CET). At the time of publishing, the standoff on the ground appears to be stable, with no major incidents as yet.

Poland is stepping up security measures on its border with Belarus (the European Union's eastern border) after reports that a large group of migrants in Belarus have headed to a checkpoint on the Polish-Belarusian border, world news agencies reported, citing official sources.

Several thousand people protested under the slogan "Stop torture at the border".
The protesters accused the Polish authorities of cruel behavior due to pushing migrants back and the introduction of a state of emergency at the border, which prevents human rights activists and humanitarian organizations from helping migrants.

Growing number of migrants wants to enter the EU along that route.
After a few months ago, in response to Brussels' sanctions, Belarusian President Lukashenko allowed migrants from the Middle East, mainly from Syria and Iraq, to enter the country unhindered, the situation on the Polish border is becoming a new crisis hotspot.