CYIL vol. 13 (2022)

CYIL 13 ȍ2022Ȏ MIGRATION FROM BELARUS TO LITHUANIA, POLAND, LATVIA IN 2021–2022 … Irregular migration from Belarus in 2021–2022: facts and numbers The starting event in this crisis was the interception of Ryanair Flight 4978 on 23 May 2021, where the aircraft crew of a flight headed to Vilnius from Athens received a distress message from Belarusian air traffic control regarding alleged bomb on board and two MiG-29 fighter jets of the Belarus Air Force intercepted the flight and escorted it to the Minsk Airport. 1 „Upon landing, authorities ordered the deplaning of the aircraft, leading to the identification and subsequent arrest of Roman Protasevic, a staunch political dissident of the Belarusian government, on criminal charges.” 2 His girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, was also arrested by Belarusian authorities. As later investigations showed, this incident was a calculated manoeuvre by Belarus to arrest Protasevic. 3 Responding to this incident, EU, United Kingdom, United States and Canada established further economic sanctions to Belarus regarding this incident, blacklisted officials, lawmakers and ministers from the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko. 4 Furthermore, EU introduced “a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds.” 5 The first indication about the migration crisis at the border of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland were the statements of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who warned the EU that he „will allow migrants and drugs to flood into western Europe if sanctions are imposed on his country following the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger plane.“ 6 These promises were carried out when Belarusian authorities together with state-controlled tourist enterprises, and with some of Middle East airlines started promoting travel / tours to Belarus by increasing the connections and flights from the Middle East to Minsk. The number of flights increased, the Belarusian authorities started easing the conditions for the reception of visas. “Migrants who reached Minsk were put up in at least three government-owned hotels, according to Latvia’s defense minister, Artis Pabriks, and Franak Viacorka, a senior adviser to a Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.” 7 Belarusian officials actively helped funnel migrants from the capital, Minsk, to the frontiers with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. 8 Mr. Pabriks noted that Belarusian intelligence agents had been involved in transferring migrants to the borders, and that military buses were used. 1 SHARMA, R. ‘The Interception of Ryanair Flight FR4978 – An Undoing of International Aviation Law?’ Jurist (13 February 2022) accessed 29 May 2022. 4 JAMES, W., PSALEDAKIS, D. and EMMOTT, R. ‘West hits Belarus with new sanctions over Ryanair ‘piracy’’ Reuters (21 June 2021) accessed 31 May 2022. 5 Council of the EU ‘EU bans Belarusian carriers from its airspace and airports’ (Press release 4 June 2021) accessed 31 May 2022. 6 EVANS, J. ‘Belarus dictator threatens to ‘flood EU with drugs and migrants’ The Week (28 May 2021) accessed 31 May 2022. 7 ARRAF, J. and PELTIER, E. ‘Migrants Say Belarusians Took Them to E.U. Border and Supplied Wire Cutters’ The New York Times (Iraq, 13 November 2021) accessed 29 May 2022. 8 Ibid. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid.

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