CYIL vol. 13 (2022)

VIOLETA VASILIAUSKIENĖ CYIL 13 ȍ2022Ȏ The crisis should be considered an act of hybrid warfare because Belarus used migration strategically to put pressure on the EU and to create humanitarian crisis within border states, firstly, Lithuania, later Poland and Latvia. “This amounts to state-sponsored human trafficking aimed at creating a humanitarian crisis to force the EU and its member states to accede to Belarus’s demands, namely ending their sanctions.” 38 State involvement by Belarus It was evident from the available facts and information that Belarus’s involvement in this migration surge was direct and unquestionable. It was established that the tourist visa procedures were simplified for citizens of several countries officially, and informally in other cases, Belarusian authorities did not expel those overstaying their visas. 39 Persons were able to obtain visas upon arrival to Minsk. 40 “The number of direct flights from Iraq, Syria and the United Arab Emirates to Belarus has more than doubled, including Syrian and Iraqi charter flights.” 41 Journalist investigations revealed that in 2021 Iraq tourist agencies reduced prices for tours to Belarus, they became more affordable, and as mentioned, the number of planes was increased. 42 There flights to Minsk from Baghdad, Basra, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah in Iraq, from Istanbul in Turkey, Damaskus in Syria, and in November, the top manager of the Minsk airport said that the airport was planning to organize new flights to Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Moldova, Qatar, Venezuela and Vietnam. 43 The involvement of Belarus is illustrated by the actions of Belarusian state-owned Tsentrkurort travel agency, subordinated to the presidential administration of Belarus, which was named as directly responsible for human trafficking. 44 Leaked documents of Tsentrkurort show that Tsentrkurort made business with different travel agencies, helping to make visas for hundreds of Iraqi citizens with a “hunting tour” as a legal justification of the tour. The company also organized the transfer of people from the airport to hotels in Minsk. 45 belarus-eu-broadens-scope-for-sanctions-to-tackle-hybrid-attacks-and-instrumentalisation-of-migrants/> accessed 31 May 2022. 38 BACHMANN (n 36). 39 ‘Behind the Frictions at the Belarus-Poland Border’ Reliefweb (22 November 2021) accessed 31 May 2022. 40 ARRAF (n 7). 41 ‘Behind the Frictions…’ (n 39). 42 ANTONENKO, O. ‘ “ Гибридная агрессия ”. Как мигранты стали оружием в противостоянии Лукашенко с Западом ’ [“Hybrid Aggression”. How migrants became a weapon in Lukashenka’s confrontation with the West] BBC News (2 August 2021) accessed 30 May 2022. 43 ‘ Какие авиакомпании скоро придут в Беларусь ?’ [Which airlines will soon come to Belarus?] Belmarket (7 November 2021) accessed 31 November 2021. 44 ‘ Кто стоит за потоком мигрантов из Беларуси в Литву. Расследование Reform.by’ [Who is behind the flow of migrants from Belarus to Lithuania. Reform.by investigation] Reform.by (23 July 2021) accessed 31 May 2022. 45 VOLKOVA, M. ‘ Кто зарабатывает на нелегальной миграции и при чем тут Управделами президента: узнали у человека, который принимает иностранцев в Беларуси ’ [Who makes money on illegal migration and what does the Presidential Administration have to do with it: we found out from a person who accepts foreigners in Belarus] KYKY.org (24 August 2021) accessed 31 May 2022.

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