EU to spend 3.5 million euro to return refugees from Belarus

The European Union will spend 3.5 million euro to return refugees from Belarus to their countries, head of the executive European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at the European Parliament Plenary on the conclusions of the October European Council and the situation in Belarus and at its border with the EU.

"More migrants are trapped and we will work with the UN agencies to facilitate their return home. We will mobilise up to 3.5 million euro to support voluntary returns from Belarus. And our efforts and this outreach will continue," she said.

The migration crisis at Belarus’ border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia deteriorated dramatically on November 8, when several thousand migrants approached the Polish border and set up camp there. From time to time they try to break through the fences and cross into Poland, but are stopped by Polish law enforcers.

EU countries accuse Minsk of the deliberate escalation of the crisis and call for more sanctions against Belarus. Meanwhile, Lukashenko said that the blame for this situation rests on Western countries because people are fleeing their countries gripped by hostilities provoked by their actions.