“Lukashenko and Putin are not only autocrats, but also human traffickers”

Things are currently in turmoil on the Polish and Lithuanian borders with Belarus as hundreds of migrants and refugees, mostly from the Middle East, have been dropped at the border and are heading for the EU in groups. The situation is escalating rapidly. “In any case, this will end badly if action is not taken quickly,” MEP Assita Kanko and MP Theo Francken of the N-VA say in a joint statement.

Members of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) debated the urgent situation at the EU-Belarus border in the European Parliament on Tuesday. MEP Assita Kanko is a member of this Committee. “Lukashenko and Putin are not only autocrats, but also human traffickers. Together they are actively creating a humanitarian crisis on Europe’s eastern border, where winter is about to begin. How inhuman and irresponsible can they be? The EU cannot let this happen, but it can tackle the problem at its source. Namely, to prevent flights from departing and further contributing to the problem so that greater stability in the region can be achieved. The Polish and Lithuanian borders are also ours; it is the border of Europe. We must help them protect it. We must get our migration policy under control.”

Europe must blacklist cooperating airlines

Europe must use all its levers to prevent migrant flights from leaving countries in the Middle East, says Assita Kanko. “And blacklist participating airlines as soon as possible so that they can no longer enter EU airspace. Belavia, Belarus’ state-owned company, must also stop flights. Europe must sanction the leasing companies that work with Belavia.”

Hybrid warfare by the book

MP Theo Francken deplores the abuse of illegal migrants as a weapon of war against the West and calls on the EU, NATO and Belgium to take action. “What we are seeing is hybrid warfare by the book. This is an international security issue, which is why NATO must meet on this. It is time to make a clear fist against Putin’s hand puppet. In addition, the EU must finance border protection, and the Belgian government must do everything possible to help the countries on the Eastern border.”

European Member States call for a wall

“Building walls is not in our European DNA,” says Theo Francken. “But in the end, it will not be possible to do otherwise. European asylum law has been abused for far too long. We must rethink this thoroughly. The Australian approach is the way forward.”