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European Commission officials to visit Polish-Belarusian border to make assessment

Border management must be exercised in a manner that respects fundamental rights, Adalbert Jahnz, the European Commission spokesperson for home affairs, stressed

BRUSSELS, September 23. /TASS/. European Commission officials will travel to the Belarusian-Polish border, where incidents of migrant deaths have occurred, in the coming days, Adalbert Jahnz, the European Commission spokesperson for home affairs, said on Thursday.

"Border management must be exercised in a manner that respects fundamental rights and, of course, it cannot be at the expense of human life," he said.

"The commission also intends to visit Poland shortly in addition to a planned visit of Commission officials in the coming days who will make a strategic assessment on the ground," Jahnz said.

"The Polish border is the EU’s border, as we have repeatedly emphasized, and European support is fully available to help Polish authorities address the situation," he stressed.

The European Commission spokesperson evaded a question about whether the European Commission condemns Poland for breaking international law. He also refused to answer another question on whether the European Commission believes that Polish border guards are pushing migrants out of Poland.

On September 19, three migrants were found dead, from hypothermia and exhaustion, in Poland, next to the border with Belarus. On the same day, Belarusian border guards recovered the body of an Iraqi woman on their side. The Belarusian State Border Committee said that traces of a body being dragged from the Polish side were clearly visible on the ground. On Wednesday, the Belarusian State Border Committee said that two groups of refugees, including children, were found next to the Polish border. They were admitted to hospital to be treated for injuries and hypothermia.

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