Polish border guards arrested 45 migrants who tried to cross the border overnight from Belarus, in clashes with stone throws and tear gas, and with the support of Belarusian forces, a door said on Friday. -speak.
About 500 people attempted to cross the border Thursday evening near Dubicze Cerkiewne, border guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska told AFP on Friday.
“
Members of this group threw stones and someone also fired tear gas at the Polish forces.
At the same time, the Belarusian services used lasers to blind them,
”she said.
“
Forty-five people were arrested and ordered to leave Poland
Added Anna Michalska.
Read alsoMigrants: Europe challenged by Belarus
"
The Belarusian side supplies tear gas to the migrants, it is obvious that they did not bring it from their country of origin,
" she insisted.
Four Polish soldiers were injured but did not need to be hospitalized, said Anna Michalska.
Overall, border guards recorded 255 crossing attempts on Thursday.
Since the start of the year, Polish border guards have recorded more than 34,000 attempts, including more than 6,000 in November, nearly 17,300 in October, nearly 7,700 in September and more than 3,500 in August, when the crisis began.
Read alsoBelorussia: migrants repatriated to Iraqi Kurdistan, others relocated to a reception center
If the number of intrusion attempts has decreased over the last month, the "
latest have become more aggressive
", stressed Anna Michalska.
A migrant encampment at the Brouzgi border post was evacuated, Minsk said Thursday, and hundreds of Iraqis who had failed to cross the border into Poland have been sent home, mainly to Iraq.
The European Union accuses Belarus of having artificially provoked this crisis by encouraging migrants to come to the country by promising them easy passage to the European Union.
Minsk rejected the accusations and blamed the EU for failing to welcome migrants seeking to cross the border.