Today the Internet is full of stories about how Lukashenko is trying to fight the
#EU with the help of #migrants from the Middle East. According to some mediareports, the migration flows are organized by #Lukashenko himself. Others say thatthe dictator simply stopped guarding the borders and this created an opportunityto travel to European countries by a relatively safe route (the situation haschanged a lot in recent weeks because of the cold weather). Many have alreadylabeled migrants and refugees as criminals, and Poland, bypassing allinternational treaties, has officially started kicking refugees out of itsterritory without considering an asylum application.There are many sides to this story, and we want to look briefly at who is tryingto exploit this situation?Lukashenko and his friendsThe dictator understands the situation with EU migration policy very well. It isnot for nothing that he has been receiving money for many years for strengtheningthe border just from the side of Belarus. The flow of the European money showswell the possible pressure points. The calculation is simple - to exert enoughpressure via refugees and migrants to return to the negotiating table. Ifpoliticians in Brussels really give in, the situation with Lukashenko's rule maystabilize, despite the human rights violations, which the West has turned a blindeye to before.Obviously, the regime, like many private citizens, makes money from migrants. From various duties, fees, and other bureaucracy to the use of governmentinfrastructure, which would stand empty these days. Technically, hotels continueto fill up, tours are bought, and many can continue to keep their jobs. But thissituation is more of a side effect of the open borders policy. It is much moreimportant for the regime to offer political resistance to sanctions from the Westthan to make some money from refugees: the former cause much more losses for thedictatorship than profits from hotels and other infrastructure.Polish governmentMost Belarusians in Poland are already aware of the conflict between theright-conservative government and the European Union. The conflict is based onnumerous violations by the Polish state of the freedoms of its citizens. It hascome to the point that Brussels writes fines to Warsaw, while the lattercontinues to ignore them and ask for economic support.The current conflict on the border slightly changes the balance of power: now theright-wing conservatives, who have long been trying to close the EU to refugees,have become the defenders of Europe. In this position, Warsaw has gained goodleverage over politicians in the West. This is why violations of the refugeeconventions anger the UN, but so far do not particularly worry liberalpoliticians in Germany or France.Obviously, in order to maintain this leverage, the escalation must continue, andthe news itself must become more and more scandalous. Which is what the Polishgovernment is doing. Today's so-called steps to resolve the crisis are aimed moreat further escalating the conflict with Minsk, primarily to preserve Warsaw'spolitical influence in the European Union. It was playing the border guard in2014-2017 that allowed Hungary's authoritarian leader Orban to remain relativelycomfortable with Western politicians for quite some time.Belarusian oppositionSadly enough, the opposition also benefits from the refugee situation. Theconflict on the border seems to be the only serious problem that constantly drawsthe attention of Western journalists and politicians to the situation in thecountry. Mass arrests, torture, and murder have failed to provoke any seriousreaction from the EU on sanctions in 2020. As soon as Lukashenko started to makemistakes in foreign policy - by landing a Ryanair plane (if Protasievich hadflown on Belavia or Aeroflot, the concerns of the West would have been much moremoderate), and then by opening the borders to refugees - Europe immediatelystarted to impose serious sanctions.Both bloggers and opposition politicians understand this and try to use every wayto put pressure on the dictator. How ethical this is is up to each of usindividually.Who wins?It's hard to imagine who might win in this situation. It is obvious thatauthoritarian forces on all sides are trying to use refugees to form their owncrazy reality: on the one side Lukashenkoland, where any critic of the regime isrepressed and the great leader seeks to create an analogue of North Korea in thecenter of Europe; on the other side states whose borders are surrounded by barbedwire and huge fences, protecting that very first world from reality. The veryreality in which people suffer from global warming, capitalism, wars anddictatorships. And these people come to the European fortress hoping for help,and die in the swamps of the Belarussian and Polish regime.We can say for sure who loses in this whole situation - it's the people who needhelp and a safe place to live. And it's not just about people from Afghanistan,Syria or Iraq. Barbed wire stops refugees regardless of their nationality. Thepaths the Belarusians used to make their way to the EU last year are closed todaythrough the efforts of Lukashenko and some of his opponents. We are once again ina situation where politicians are playing, and ordinary people are suffering.Fuck Lukashenko and his regime activists! Fuck Duda and his corrupt friends! FuckMotolko and other bloggers hunting "illegals" in Minsk.Our solidarity with all those fighting authoritarianism in Minsk, Warsaw,Baghdad, and across the planet.https://pramen.io/en/2021/10/who-is-using-refugees-for-their-own-purposes/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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