Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko called on Europe to take in more migrants, criticising the EU for not holding talks on the crisis.
Lukashenko has demanded that Germany take in 2,000 migrants that remain on the border with Poland.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said it was not an acceptable solution for Germany.
Meanwhile, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged leaders not to trust Lukashenko when she visited Vienna, Austria on Monday.
Tensions have risen at the Polish border for weeks as large groups of migrants have attempted to cross into the EU which has accused Lukashenko of luring migrants there in retaliation for sanctions.
Hundreds of Iraqis were repatriated after finding themselves stranded at the border.
“Who is the one to blame? It’s Lukashenko. He’s the one luring people into a very, very dangerous situation,” Ylva Johansson, the EU’s home affairs commissioner, told Euronews.
She added that Poland should allow human rights workers access to the border; the country has issued a state of emergency amid the migrant crisis.
“I’ve been calling on the Polish government to be more transparent. I think it’s really a problem, with the lack of transparency about what’s going on, on the Polish side and also the lack of access for organisations like UNHCR and IOM.”
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