Inside Story

Are the EU and Belarus playing politics with refugees?

Belarus accused of helping refugees and migrants cross into the bloc as a retaliation against EU sanctions.

The European Union is divided on how to respond to a migration crisis in the Baltics.

Belarus is accused of giving tourist visas to refugees and migrants from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and then helping them cross the border into the bloc.

Poland has recorded 16,000 attempts since August.

The EU is calling it “state-sponsored smuggling”, in retaliation for sanctions it imposed on Minsk for cracking down on dissent.

Refugees are stuck in the middle. Could this standoff lead to a humanitarian crisis?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Jaroslav Romanchuk – Presdent of Mises Scientific Research Center and former Belarussian presidential candidate

Karel Lannoo – Chief executive of Centre for European Policy Studies