Humanitarian Tragedy in Europe's Eastern Border (Satis Shroff)

Humanitarian Tragedy in Europe’s Eastern Border (Satis Shroff)

Due to the dramatic development along the 1000km Ukraine-Belarussian border, where thousands of migrants from Syria and Iraq are forced to live in the cold, wet forests zone, the Ukraine is not sending humanitarian help but 3000 border soldiers, 2000 national guards to control the border against an invasion of migrants. Moreover, 15 helicopters are being deployed to observe the forested and swampy areas, according to minister Denys Monastryskyj. He said the barb-wired border will be extended. The Ukraine wants to build an ‘intelligent border’ and the Ukranian government will be spending 560 million to achieve this goal. The people from Iraq and Syria, who have paid for the flight, visa and hotel in White Russia, are now obliged to spend days and nights in the cold border. Their hopes of reaching and receiving political asylum in the west (Germany, France and Switzerland) have been squashed by the border disputes of the former East Bloc nations, now EU members, who don’t want refugees. The temperature outside has reached the zero centigrade mark. Kiew fears that the refugees will be sent to Ukraine. For a country that has suffered such a lot in the World Wars, it’s shameful to witness this stance today. Poland, which had obstinately refused to have EU- Frontex forces on its borders, has at last admitted defeat and has asked the EU for assistance in the battle against human-smugglers organized by Lukashenko operating in North African countries. Whether and how Brussels is now going to react is another matter. It is a fact that Lukashenko (White Russia) is behind the incursions of migrants into the Schengen countries in an attempt to destabilize the EU due to the sanctions imposed on Belarus. The Syrians and Iraqis have become human balls between former East Bloc nations that decided to become members of the EU. But the meetings and discussions in Brussels have sadly shown that these members only prefer to pick the tastiest confections of the EU confectionary, and are not ready to show any semblance of EU conformity. In this context, Russia is a big player behind the scenes because it supports Lukashenko (Belarus) unflinchingly. If Lukashenko wishes that the above-mentioned refugees are to be distributed between the Shengen countries, he is sadly mistaken. However, what needs to be done at this moment is not geopolitics of the Shengen states but humanitarian assistance for the freezing humans—no matter where they are from. The lives of humans are more important than discussions about border security. Shame to all actors in this European tragedy and scenario. Winter is around the bend. Think of how many thousands of Germans, Russians, White Russians and Ukranians, Polish and other soldiers and civilists died in the past Wars and due to the bitter winter. This is also a krieg against against humanity in the eastern borders of prosperous, peace-loving, compassionate Europe.