Polish border guards announced the death of a migrant on the border with Belarus on Friday, bringing the death toll to five since the start of the migration crisis this summer in the eastern European Union.
Thousands of migrants, mostly from the Middle East, have crossed or attempted to cross the EU border from Belarus into Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in recent months.
Read alsoFour migrants discovered dead on the border between Poland and Belarus
The EU accused Belarus of orchestrating the influx of migrants in retaliation for the sanctions it imposed on it following the crackdown on the opposition by the Minsk regime.
According to border guards, a group of immigrants of Iraqi origin was arrested overnight from Thursday to Friday about 500 meters from the border with Belarus.
"
One of the men, although he was resuscitated by the patrol and the rescue team, died (probably of a heart attack),
" they said in a statement.
State of emergency at the border
Four migrants were found dead at the border on Sunday, according to Belarusian and Polish officials.
Poland sent thousands of troops to the 400-kilometer-long Polish-Belarusian border and built a barbed wire fence over a long section.
It has also established a local state of emergency which prohibits journalists and activists from traveling to the border area.
Critics of Poland's right-wing populist government accuse it of using the issue for electoral purposes and of using harsh methods against asylum seekers.
Read also Belarus: Washington wants to hit the regime's "wallets" and put pressure on Lukashenko
Representatives of non-governmental organizations said on Thursday that they remain in contact with migrants and have documented dozens of refoulements, a highly controversial practice that prevents migrants from making asylum claims. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Friday assured that Poland was helping all migrants who crossed the Polish border. “
We are trying to help and save the life and health of all illegal migrants who crossed the border with Poland and were found on time. We want everyone to be treated with dignity
", Wrote the head of government on Facebook.
On Monday, border guards said they had recorded 3,500 border crossings in August, successful or foiled.
For the month of September, this figure is currently over 5,000.