Polish mothers protest against migrant pushbacks at Belarus border
- Thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have tried to cross the border into Poland since August
- The influx is unprecedented and the EU suspects Belarus is masterminding the push as retaliation against EU sanctions
Chanting “shame” and “no one is illegal”, Polish mothers rallied near the border with Belarus on Saturday to protest against pushbacks of children and other migrants trying to cross into the European Union.
“We can’t stand idly by when children are spending weeks in cold, wet, dark forests on Polish territory – without food, drink and access to shelter,” the event organisers said on Facebook.
Thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have tried to cross the border since August – an unprecedented influx that the EU suspects Belarus is masterminding as retaliation against EU sanctions.
Poland has sent thousands of troops to the border, built a razor-wire fence and implemented a three-month state of emergency in the immediate border area that bans journalists and charity workers.
The protesters carrying signs with slogans such as “Border of Death” and “Fear God Not Refugees” called on the Polish government to scrap the border ban so that the migrants could receive help.