Debate on the escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU/Belarusian border. Statements of Josep BORRELL FONTELLES and MEPs Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), RóżaTHUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), Tineke STRIK (Greens/EFA, NL), Joachim Stanisław BRUDZIŃSKI (ECR, PL)

debate

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

THUN UND HOHENSTEIN, Róża (Renew, PL)

surveillance of the external borders of the EU (T)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

BRUDZIŃSKI, Joachim Stanisław (ECR, PL)

STRIK, Tineke (Greens/EFA, NL)

Escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU/Belarusian border: extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/3250789/I213660Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Cutaways : general view of the hemycicle, arrival of Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT) and arrival of Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Our reach out has to be much more extended because it is not the point to point travel with a single or a couple of factors, it is a whole network of destination with transit countries involving a lot of airlines and a lot of people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, We are also monitoring potential new routes and possible new flight connections, as well as developments for more than 20 countries where our delegations are asked to report. I also ask our delegations to embark in wide efforts of information to the people explaining to the people on these countries that the promises of a free entry to Europe are fakes, that they are being cheated, they are being stolen, they are being asked to pay 6000, 7000 thousand dollars for a travel that goes nowhere.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, I want to say also that this crisis should not distract attention from what's behind the current escalation of the European Union border. The Lukashenko regime is a regime that is oppressing its own people, disregarding their fundamental freedoms and perpetrating human rights violations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, The first thing that we have to do is to get from the Belarusian government that the organizations that can provide humanitarian help can reach these people in order to avoid images that can provoke big trouble among us. The second thing is to open a humanitarian corridor for these people coming back. They cannot go into European Union border by forcing the borders, but they cannot stay there forever. They need humanitarian help and they need a way out of the situation where the Belarusian people have put them. And we have to get agreements with the origin countries in order for the safe return.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Today is a hybrid attack against the European Union. Dictator Lukashenko fought first against the Democratic opposition in his own country, brought people to prison. Then we activated again sanctions. And then he's increasing now with this method, the pressure against the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Our first message as EPP is: you cannot blackmail the European Union". We will protect our borders to state decides who is arriving and not smugglers and not a dictator is deciding. A second message from the EEP is migrants are : the victims of the development they need to respect. We have to show respect. We have to respect the European law. It is protecting their dignity and their rights.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), For the moment. The Polish authorities are not respecting and accepting support from Frontex. We have no transparency of what is going on on the border. That's why my appeal is please do it in a European way. Let's do it together.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), Approximately 2000 men, women and children are abandoned to their fate in subzero temperatures with no access to food, water or shelter. They do not represent a danger to security. They are simply the victims of a cruel tyrant.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), Let us adopt without delay new sanctions against the Lukashenko dictatorship, including measures against individuals and companies. Let us ban airlines from overflying the EU if they collaborate in transporting migrants from third countries. And let us propose an appropriate financial plan to ensure that Poland can take immediate action.

SOUNDBITE (English), R&#243;&#380;a THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), I look at today's opinion polls from Poland. The question was, should Polish government ask the European Union for help in solving this humanitarian crisis? 82 percent of respondents say yes. 15 say no, and 3 have no opinion. So my question to the prime minister of Poland, Mr. Moravia, is that why Mr. Prime Minister Moravec ask you, why are you again against the Polish citizens? Why do you refuse to invite Frontex to the Eastern European border, to our border? What is your real motivation? We must act together.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tineke STRIK (Greens/EFA, NL), This geopolitical crisis cannot be solved with pushbacks because that is creating a humanitarian crisis and accepting these pushbacks would send a fatal signal to other countries, allowing to do them exactly the same. And that would be the end of our asylum law, our fundamental rights and values. So let us stay united in our approach to Lukashenko. Strong and swift sanctions support Belarusian society and stop new arrivals of innocent migrants.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Joachim Stanis&#322;aw BRUDZI&#323;SKI (ECR, PL), The reality here is that this is a hybrid war perpetrated by Lukashenko and his protector in Russia. And we have to recognize reality for what it is. But we must not fall into your trust and temptation. You talk about the poor people from the Middle East who are there as refugees. But if we convey the message that our doors are open and that they can simply come freely to Europe, then we will simply repeat the tragedies we faced and witnessed in the past. These people are victims to some extent, but they are also working with and for people who are human traffickers.

Cutaways : general view of the hemycicle (5 shots) 