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Lukashenko says more migrants could be expected from Afghanistan soon

EU countries accuse Minsk of deliberate escalation of the crisis and call for more sanctions against Belarus

MINSK, November 9. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday that he thinks more migrants could be expected from Afghanistan soon.

"The Americans invited them but ordered Europe and Central Asia [to receive them]. However, Central Asian republics said: ‘Sorry.’ And where are they going to head to? They will go to Europe," he said in an interview with Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defense magazine, that was cited by the BelTA agency.

According to Lukashenko, migrants from Afghanistan have reached Belarus via Central Asian republics and via Russia. "They use not only this route. They are coming via Ukraine, but Ukraine is a friend to them (the West - TASS), so they are keeping quiet," he noted. "Belarus is a foe, so it should be haunted, the more so as Lukashenko is backed by Putin <…> and this migration wave is Lukashenko’s hybrid war backed by Putin (as the West is claiming - TASS)."

The situation at the Polish-Belarusian border deteriorated dramatically on Monday, when several thousand migrants approached the Polish border. Some of them tried to tear down the barbed wire fence and break through into Poland. Polish law enforcers used tear gas to stop the migrants.

EU countries accuse Minsk of deliberate escalation of the crisis and call for more sanctions against Belarus. Meanwhile, Lukashenko said that the blame for this situation rests on Western countries because people are fleeing their countries gripped by hostilities provoked by their actions.

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