Belarus crisis: expert sees EU with its back to the wall - and in the middle of "AfD politics"

In the dispute with Belarus over the flow of refugees on the Polish border, migration researcher Gerald Knaus sees an “AfD policy” in the EU's stance.

Berlin - Migration researcher Gerald Knaus has accused the European Union of “AfD policies” in the refugee dispute with Belarus.

"What we are doing now is the AfD policy that we did not do in 2015 on the border of the European Union," said Knaus on Wednesday in the

.

For Russia and the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko it is a moral satisfaction to see that the EU is no longer adhering to its values ​​and is helpless. Knaus, who is considered an architect of the EU-Turkey agreement to reduce the movement of refugees, quoted AfD politician Beatrix von Storch. In January 2016 she said, “Anyone who does not accept the stop at our border is an attacker. We have to defend ourselves against attackers, even with weapons. ”This is exactly what is now being practiced on the Belarusian border.

Knaus warned that the EU was slipping into strategic, political and moral defeat.

Politically she is divided.

“The voices will be loud that sooner or later will say, 'Let's negotiate with him.

Let's lift the sanctions against Lukashenko, '”said the migration researcher.

At the same time, the Union gives up its values ​​"because we see a competition of brutality where all laws and refugee conventions no longer apply." In addition, the situation shows how blackmail the Union is.

Belarus crisis: Knaus sees the European Union pushed into a corner

That is a signal to the neighboring Russian states.

"The next time the European Union thinks about imposing sanctions because an attack is imminent in Ukraine, there is a great risk that ten thousand people will show up on the border of the Baltic states," said Knaus.

"Let's leave it" could therefore be the approach of the EU, he told the

.

From Knaus's point of view, this amounts to a “strategic defeat”.

The hope in Minsk and Moscow is that the EU will respond to Belarus' demands - primarily a negotiation of sanctions, emphasized Knaus.

Belarus flow of refugees: “Only symbolic sanctions” - Knaus calls for a pact against blackmail

In addition, further sanctions are not the solution to the problem, because sanctions will not be able to stop the transport of refugees to Belarus, according to Knaus: "They just have to fly to Moscow and change trains." Migration experts in the

A solution is only possible through partnerships.

Knaus therefore called for an alliance against blackmail from Moscow: "I think the German Chancellor should now phone the American President and the President of Ukraine and conclude an anti-blackmail pact."

Belarusian-Polish border: "Can't let people freeze to death"

The events on the EU's eastern external border are the "greatest moral and strategic crisis of the European Union at its borders for many years," Knaus told the

and added that the EU was suspending all of its principles. It is also not possible to determine the extent of the “brutality” at the border, “because even Frontex is not allowed”.

The migration researcher drew attention to the misery of the refugees on the Polish border: “But we know that here people are pushed back into the cold, in a situation where, on the other hand, an unscrupulous dictator has every interest in an escalation, even in deaths at this border. "That was the message from Minsk, but according to Knaus also" scornful "from Moscow:" See how you maintain your high principles at this border. "

In spite of everything, however, the EU cannot “freeze to death in the cold” people who are currently at its border.

Knaus demanded that they be accepted, but the Union must also send a signal: “Anyone who goes to Belarus from now on and falls into the trap of the dictator will not come to Germany.” The main goal of migrants is Germany, “because Germany treats people humanely “, Says the migration expert.

In fact, migrants on the border with Poland made it clear that they wanted to go to Germany.

Refugees at the eastern EU border - Union is called to act

The Advisory Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) also called on the EU to act quickly in the refugee dispute with Belarus.

Such a political instrumentalization of migration as it is now by the Belarusian leadership has not yet existed on this scale, the committee said on Tuesday.

The Europeans must therefore quickly find a common solution.

The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko "is waging a geopolitical conflict on the backs of migrants," said SVR chairwoman Petra Bendel.

"The European Union is now asked to use all means of foreign policy to counter this."

If the EU also uses this crisis to demonstrate joint ability to act in migration policy, "it can emerge stronger from it," added Bendel.