MINSK, November 8. /TASS/. The Belarusian Red Cross is ready to render assistance to migrants on the Belarusian-Polish border, the press service of the organization reported on Monday.
"The Belarusian Red Cross takes the situation with migrants on the Belarusian-Polish border very seriously and is ready to render assistance to tackle humanitarian challenges as they emerge (provision of food, hygiene kits, etc.)," the message stated on Telegram channel. The organization added that the representatives of the Belarusian Red Cross were in constant contact with state bodies, public organizations, as well as international partners.
On Monday morning, a group of up to 1,000 refugees with their belongings was moving across Belarus toward its border with Poland. The Belarusian authorities reported that foreigners located near the border with Poland declared their intention to enter the territory of a neighboring country and exercise the right to obtain refugee status in the EU. Due to the influx of refugees, Poland’s Territorial Defense Force has been put on alert.
Since the beginning of 2021, over 30,000 migrants have tried to cross the Polish-Belarusian border. Warsaw declared a state of emergency in the regions bordering Belarus and has been systematically beefing up the number of servicemen stationed there (currently it is at 10,000). At the same time, the Polish authorities have been building a barbed-wire fence on the border and later plans are in store to transform it into a more fortified barrier measuring 5 meters in height, equipped with sensors and other necessary equipment.