Opinions & Interviews
Belarusian MFA offers ‘recipe’ for resolving Europe’s illegal migration crisis
An archive photo
MINSK, 18 August (BelTA) - To truly solve the problem of illegal migration, it is necessary to stop wars and create normal living conditions in the countries from which people are fleeing, Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Sekreta said in an interview with the German publication NachDenkSeiten, BelTA has learned.
According to Igor Sekreta, if Germany, Europe as a whole, and the United States are so displeased with migrants, the first thing they should do is restore order, for example, in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. “They need to invest there, develop business there, so that people stay at home,” the deputy minister noted.
He also considers it necessary to ensure civilized conditions at borders for receiving migrants. Igor Sekreta said that the Belarusian side receives very grim statistics: Lithuanian and Polish security forces have dumped nearly a hundred corpses on the territory of Belarus. According to the State Border Committee, throughout the entire migrant crisis on Belarus’ border with European Union countries, i.e. since 2021, there have been 96 cases of migrant deaths. These are only the documented cases.
“Our neighbors beat them, some are killed, others die from frostbite and hunger right at the border. This is happening in the 21st century! We are forced to deal with the dead bodies of migrants that are simply thrown over the fence to us. Belarusian Prosecutor’s Office opens criminal cases, but the deceased often have no documents. They are simply dumped over the barbed wire. This is terrible, inhumane. This is reminiscent of wartime. Is this a normal level of interstate communication?” Igor Sekreta asked rhetorically.
He regretfully noted that Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia do not wish to work together with Belarus to resolve this crisis. “For some reason, they believe that we should work for them unconditionally, protect their borders from migrants. But excuse me, you have imposed sanctions against us. In Europe, they don't like us and don't want to see us, and yet we are supposed to protect you? Why should our border guards safeguard the peace of Lithuanians or Poles? If relations were normal, everything could be negotiated. But if not, then defend yourselves if you must. These migrants pose no threat to us; they do not commit crimes en masse here. The migrant situation in our country is stable and manageable,” the diplomat said.
According to him, the internal affairs bodies are actively applying administrative and legal measures against migrants who violate Belarusian legislation: they are deported and banned from entering the country. In 2025 alone, more than 24,000 foreigners had their temporary and permanent residence permits revoked.
For gross violations of the law, decisions have been made to deport 4,860 individuals from the country (compared to 5,512 in 2024), while 3,885 have been refused entry. In the period from 2021 to 2025, border service agencies uncovered and shut down 129 channels of illegal transit migration, with 296 organizers and accomplices detained, as well as more than 1,400 illegal transit migrants.
Investigative bodies have initiated 143 criminal cases for the organization of illegal migration. More than 9,000 foreigners have been brought to administrative liability for violations of migration legislation.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
