The European Union introduced the fifth package of sanctions against Belarus against the background of the migration crisis

The Council of the European Union has approved a new package of sanctions against Belarus in connection with the migration crisis on the border with this country. About it writes TASS with reference to the statement of the Council.

The current sanctions package is the fifth since August 2020. Prior to that, about 200 Belarusian individuals and organizations were on the EU blacklist.

“The EU Council approved the fifth package of individual prohibitive measures against individuals and legal entities in connection with the hybrid actions of Belarus to instrumentalize migrants to put pressure on the EU states,” the agency quotes the statement.

At the moment, it is not known who exactly was included in the list. According to media reports, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic Anatoly Glaz, as well as the companies Belorusneft, Grodno Azot and Belshina, could be blacklisted.

Let us remind you that the situation on the border between Poland and Belarus became more complicated in November, when several thousand migrants from the countries of the Middle East approached the border with Poland from the Belarusian side, wishing to move to the EU. Illegals attempted to break into the country, while they threw stones and sticks at the Polish border guards. The security forces responded with stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons. In clashes with migrants, at least nine Polish security forces were injured.

In Poland, Belarusian border guards were accused of beatings and intimidation of migrants. According to Warsaw, refugees are forced to cross the border and are not allowed to return home. The EU authorities call this migration crisis “hybrid aggression” by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.