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| Poland fears major breach by migrants on Belarus border | Poland fears major breach by migrants on Belarus border |
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| Watch: Video shows hundreds of migrants near Belarus' border with Poland | |
| Poland has stepped up security on its eastern border over concerns about a large group of migrants trying to enter the country from Belarus. | Poland has stepped up security on its eastern border over concerns about a large group of migrants trying to enter the country from Belarus. |
| Video showed hundreds of people near a barbed-wire border fence, which some have tried to force their way through. | Video showed hundreds of people near a barbed-wire border fence, which some have tried to force their way through. |
| The Polish government had called a crisis meeting and put 12,000 troops on duty at the border. | The Polish government had called a crisis meeting and put 12,000 troops on duty at the border. |
| Poland has accused Belarus of pushing the migrants towards the border, describing it as hostile activity. | Poland has accused Belarus of pushing the migrants towards the border, describing it as hostile activity. |
| Poland, Lithuania and Latvia say there's been a surge in the number of people trying to enter their countries illegally from Belarus in recent months. Many of them have come from the Middle East and Asia. | Poland, Lithuania and Latvia say there's been a surge in the number of people trying to enter their countries illegally from Belarus in recent months. Many of them have come from the Middle East and Asia. |
| The European Union has accused Belarus's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating the influx in retaliation against sanctions. | The European Union has accused Belarus's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko of facilitating the influx in retaliation against sanctions. |
| Conditions for migrants on the border are hostile to the point of being deadly, and fears have been raised for their safety in the region's sub-zero winter. | Conditions for migrants on the border are hostile to the point of being deadly, and fears have been raised for their safety in the region's sub-zero winter. |
| As they are summarily expelled from Poland and Belarus refuses to allow them back in, people are finding themselves stranded and freezing in Poland's forests. Several have died of hyperthermia. | As they are summarily expelled from Poland and Belarus refuses to allow them back in, people are finding themselves stranded and freezing in Poland's forests. Several have died of hyperthermia. |
| This video can not be played | This video can not be played |
| To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. |
| The migrants freezing to death on the Belarus-Poland border | The migrants freezing to death on the Belarus-Poland border |
| The BBC's Paul Adams met one group of Syrian friends in their 20s who had run out of food and water, and despite the freezing conditions did not dare to light a fire for fear of ending up in a detention centre. | The BBC's Paul Adams met one group of Syrian friends in their 20s who had run out of food and water, and despite the freezing conditions did not dare to light a fire for fear of ending up in a detention centre. |
| READ MORE: How Belarus is helping ‘tourists’ break into the EU | READ MORE: How Belarus is helping ‘tourists’ break into the EU |
| On Monday, the Nato alliance said it was worried about "escalation" on the border with Poland and was ready to "maintain safety and security in the region". | On Monday, the Nato alliance said it was worried about "escalation" on the border with Poland and was ready to "maintain safety and security in the region". |
| Border tensions intensified earlier when videos posted on social media showed a column of people, including women and children, walking towards the Polish border in Belarus. | Border tensions intensified earlier when videos posted on social media showed a column of people, including women and children, walking towards the Polish border in Belarus. |
| Grupa migrantów znajduje się obecnie w okolicach Kuźnicy pic.twitter.com/w5VxXp9QqQ | Grupa migrantów znajduje się obecnie w okolicach Kuźnicy pic.twitter.com/w5VxXp9QqQ |
| Other videos showed large numbers of migrants being escorted by armed men dressed in khaki. | Other videos showed large numbers of migrants being escorted by armed men dressed in khaki. |
| Poland's deputy foreign minister, Piotr Wawrzyk, accused Belarus of trying to orchestrate a major incident near Kuznica Bialostocka, a village close to the border. | Poland's deputy foreign minister, Piotr Wawrzyk, accused Belarus of trying to orchestrate a major incident near Kuznica Bialostocka, a village close to the border. |
| He told Polish radio that "there will be an attempt at a mass border crossing". | He told Polish radio that "there will be an attempt at a mass border crossing". |
| Later, Poland's defence minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, said the country had raised its state of alert on its border with Belarus. | Later, Poland's defence minister, Mariusz Blaszczak, said the country had raised its state of alert on its border with Belarus. |
| He tweeted aerial footage that showed many migrants had arrived at the border, where they were prevented from going any further by a recently erected razor wire fence. | He tweeted aerial footage that showed many migrants had arrived at the border, where they were prevented from going any further by a recently erected razor wire fence. |
| But the Polish Border Guard later said some of the migrants had attempted to force their way through barbed wire. | But the Polish Border Guard later said some of the migrants had attempted to force their way through barbed wire. |
| ⚡️Migrants have destroyed the barbed wire fence and are shouting "Germany". #Polish border guards cover the hole with a human shield.@franakviacorka @PavelLatushka @A_Shraibman @Tsihanouskaya pic.twitter.com/k9CD256UFP | ⚡️Migrants have destroyed the barbed wire fence and are shouting "Germany". #Polish border guards cover the hole with a human shield.@franakviacorka @PavelLatushka @A_Shraibman @Tsihanouskaya pic.twitter.com/k9CD256UFP |
| One dramatic video showed guards with shields lined up in a row where the fence had been breached, standing their ground as a helicopter hovered above. | One dramatic video showed guards with shields lined up in a row where the fence had been breached, standing their ground as a helicopter hovered above. |
| Belarusian border guards said a large group of what they called refugees was moving towards the Polish border. They said Poland was taking an "inhumane attitude". | Belarusian border guards said a large group of what they called refugees was moving towards the Polish border. They said Poland was taking an "inhumane attitude". |