Hooded and in fatigues, often without visible escutcheon, sometimes armed. At the Belarusian-Polish border, henchmen of the Belarusian regime displayed, in early November, paraphernalia as cloudy as their mission. Hundreds of Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese exiles gathered in the same place, propelled against their will into the heart of a diplomatic and media battle between Belarus and the European Union.
Poland then denounces a wave of migrants orchestrated by its neighbor, who would have brought thousands of candidates for exile by plane to its territory. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko denies, but flights have been chartered, and visas obtained “Tourist” has been greatly facilitated.
According to Polish border guards, in mid-November 4,000 men, women and children were massed at the border, despite hunger, thirst and cold.
The situation became particularly tense around the Bruzgi-Kuznica border post, in western Belarus, with several testimonies and videos attesting to the activity of henchmen of the Belarusian regime.
This November 8, a column of more than a thousand exiles marches towards the Polish border, along the Belarusian M6 motorway.
Less than two kilometers from the border post, the migrants abruptly leave the road and head for the forest. Images posted on social media show that they are under close surveillance.
At least twenty armed men in fatigues are present. On the images available, none of them seems to be trying to prevent migrants from heading towards this crossing area, which is illegal.
The migrants progress in the forest. Eight hundred meters south of the border post, in a wooded area, several hundred of them try to cross the fence which bars access to Poland. It is the biggest attempt since the start of the crisis.
After having tried, in vain, to force the passage in front of the Polish police forces, the migrants set up their misery camp there.
Images filmed by journalists present on site, most of whom work for Russian and Belarusian state channels, document their living conditions: a tangle of tents, blankets and makeshift shelters, in a temperature close to zero. Some images show the omnipresence of men, hooded, in fatigues, sometimes armed.
The following days, the diplomatic standoff continued. The status quo persists, and attempts to cross – often unsuccessful, as the Polish border is now sealed – continue sparingly.
On the night of November 15 to 16, groups of migrants set off again. “Little by little, we understood that the Belarusians were pushing us in a specific direction”, says Musa, a 29-year-old Iraqi Kurdish migrant.
The morning of November 16, hundreds of migrants gathered in the immediate vicinity of the Bruzgi-Kuznica border post. Clashes break out. Images broadcast live on YouTube by the Russian state-funded Ruptly news agency show migrants throwing projectiles at Polish law enforcement. They responded, using water cannons and tear gas.
A kilometer post makes it possible to precisely locate the scene. She is also visible on footage shot from the Polish side of the border. Distributed by the Polish Ministry of Defense, this video highlights the presence and passivity of a hooded and armed man on the Belarusian side.
Other men in similar attire and demeanor can be seen in the footage throughout the day.
The trap closed on those who had been promised an easy passage in Europe. Pushed back and pushed back by the Polish police and military, the migrants can no longer move away from the area, nor turn back.
This November 16, in Bruzgi-Kuznica, the men of the Belarusian security services, equipped with their police uniform, form a line preventing any renunciation.
During a telephone interview with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the evening of Monday November 15, Alexander Lukashenko said he wanted to ensure the return of migrants ” at their home “. A speech which seemed to oppose the action of his men on the ground. November 19, in a BBC interview, the Belarusian dictator finally admitted that he was “Quite possible” that his forces had helped migrants to force the Polish border, while refusing to ” to look closer “.