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UN Refugee Agency voices concern over situation on border between Belarus and Poland

We have repeatedly said using refugees and migrants to achieve political ends is unacceptable and must stop. It’s time to act now - we call on Belarus to avoid putting lives at risk, the agency Tweeted

GENEVA, November 9. /TASS/. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has voiced its concern in regard to the situation with migrants on the border between Belarus and Poland, a UNHCR spokesperson told TASS.

"We have repeatedly expressed our concerns on the instrumentalization of refugees and migrants to achieve political ends," UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo stated.

The UN Refugee Agency stated earlier on its Twitter account that "Images from Belarus-Poland border are deeply concerning."

"We have repeatedly said using refugees and migrants to achieve political ends is unacceptable and must stop. It’s time to act now - we call on Belarus to avoid putting lives at risk," the agency Tweeted.

Early on November 8, Polish media outlets and social network websites reported that a group of several thousand migrants was heading in Belarus towards Poland. The Polish authorities informed that security measures had been stepped up along the border, where military and police were deployed to beef up the border guards.

In the afternoon, the Polish Border Guard uploaded to its page on Twitter video footage showing a large group of migrants trying to destroy a barbed wire fence using wood logs and cutters. Police, border guards and military countered their attempts on the Polish side of the border. It could be seen that gas was used on the Polish side of the border. For now, all attempts to cross into Poland have been thwarted.

Late on Monday, reports emerged about gunfire at the border. Minsk says it came from the Polish side, while Warsaw said that it could have been ‘blind fire’ from the side of Belarus.

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