Belarus bans Iraqis, Syrians and Yemenis from boarding incoming Turkey flights to curb migrant crisis

Belarusian state-run airline on Friday banned citizens from Iraq, Syria and Yemen from boarding incoming Turkey flights at the request of Turkish authorities amid a migrant standoff between Belarus and Poland

“In line with a decision by the … Turkish authorities, citizens of Iraq, Syria, Yemen will not be accepted for transportation on flights from Turkey to Belarus from 12.11.2021,” Belavia said in a statement on Friday.

The Turkish Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the statement, saying flight tickets to Minsk would not be sold to people from the three countries from Turkey.

The move comes amid tense border stand-off between Belarus and Poland, where thousands of migrants, mostly from war-torn parts of Iraq, Syria and Yemen, fleeing conflict, persecution or poverty are stranded.

Many aim to reach Germany or other western European countries, to reunite with relatives already settled there. In recent months, Belarus had become a favourable a route for migrants and refugees trying to enter the European Union.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, which are all part of the EU, have seen a surge in the number of people trying to enter their countries illegally from Belarus in recent months.

The European Union, the United States and NATO have accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkoof manufacturing a migrant crisis on the EU's eastern frontier as retribution for sanctions over human rights abuses.

Stranded people are facing "catastrophic" conditions in freezing forests and makeshift camps at the border, according to CNN. Temperatures at the Poland-Belarus border drop below freezing at night.

German federal police on Wednesday reported that 1,246 unauthorised entries to Germany “with a connection to Belarus” had been recorded in the first nine days of November. In all, there have been 9,087 such entries so far this year, German police said.

Polish authorities said that a large number of people remain just across the border in neighbouring Belarus and Polish border guards continue to rebuff attempts to enter Poland illegally each day.

There are now hundreds of people, among them families with children, staying in makeshift camps on the Belarusian side of the border.

Attempts to cross have become increasingly dangerous as Poland fortifies its side of the border and pushes people back.

(With inputs from agencies)