The United Nations has expressed concern about the conditions and treatment of refugees and migrants stranded at the border between Belarus and Poland.
“We have colleagues in the UNHCR on the ground (between the Belarusian-Polish border) and they are very concerned about the conditions there, and also about the treatment of refugees and migrants,” Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Farhan Haq, told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.”
Last Monday, many asylum seekers tried to cross the border to enter Poland from Belarus, where there are currently about 4,000 asylum seekers at the borders of the two countries, according to the Polish news agency.
Haq added, “These refugees and migrants must be treated with dignity and their concerns heard, and we are not saying where they should end up, but rather saying that it is necessary that these people not be used as tools and pawns in the conflicts that arise between countries.”
“We want these refugees to have the right to choose their next step and to have their voice heard,” he added.
Regarding the Polish side’s use of water cannons against refugees wishing to cross its borders, Haq said, “We have no information confirming this, but it is clear that such treatment would be wrong, especially since force should not be used in dealing with such people.”
