TORONTO -- Many migrants remain in limbo as tensions at the Poland-Belarus border continue, faced with freezing temperatures and aggressive behaviour from Polish security forces to prevent them from entering the country.
However, for a few hundred migrants relief appeared Wednesday from the Belarusian side when they were escorted from their makeshift camp to a nearby warehouse where they were given food, blankets and medical attention, seen in a video released by Belarus.
The abrupt change marks a distinct shift in attitude towards the migrants from the government in Minsk, but uncertainty remains for many, including for those who took shelter in the warehouse.
“I come here and my life right now is saved. I don't know for after,” an Iraqi Kurdish boy named Ahmed said to the Associated Press, adding that it was so cold outside he could not feel his fingers.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached out to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko Monday, despite not recognizing his regime, and stressed that migrants should be given the opportunity to return to their home countries with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration.
It is hoped that it was her direct action that brought about the attitude change seen Wednesday and will set in motion a de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution for the migrants and relations between Warsaw and Minsk.
The warm warehouse welcome was a dramatic shift from Tuesday’s chaos when migrants threw stones at Polish forces on the other side of the razor-wire fence, injuring 12, and were retaliated against with water cannons and tear gas. Poland accused Belarus of instigating the conflict and in return Belarus denounced Poland’s “violent actions.”
Belarus says 800 people remain camped along the border, a number Poland disputes and says is closer to 2,000.
Some migrants have apparently decided to take up the offer touted by Merkel, with a voluntary repatriation flight expected to depart for Iraq from Belarus on Thursday, although it is unclear how many migrants will be on it. Iraq has been appealing for its citizens to come home, according to The Associated Press.
Most of the migrants have been stuck at the border since Nov. 8, many seeking to escape conflict in the Middle East. The West has accused Lukashenko of trafficking the migrants and using them as pawns in an effort to snipe back at sanctions placed on him and his government.
The sanctions were slapped on Lukashenko and several other officials after the 2020 election that awarded him a sixth term and a May incident where a passenger jet was diverted to Minsk so that Belarusian authorities could arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich.
Months of massive pro-democracy protests against Lukshenko broke out across Belarus and opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled into exile after a brutal crackdown by police. She has continuously spoken out against Lukashenko, with many western nations sympathetic to her plight.
Lukashenko responded by announcing he would no longer abide by an agreement to stem illegal migration, citing the sanctions deprived his government of resources needed to contain migrants traversing Europe on their way west.
The result has been a bottleneck of migrants in between the Poland-Belarus border alongside Lithuania and Latvia.
Tensions escalated when Poland deployed thousands of soldiers, border guards and riot police to enforce the border and stop migrants crossing over. Russia, Belarus’s long time ally, has been instrumental in propping up Lukashenko and has been patrolling the skies and taking part in war games in Belarus as a show of support.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poland will not accept any decisions on the border standoff that are made without Poland's participation, referring to the talks involving Merkel and Lukashenko.
