Queues at Belarus–EU border exceed 5,000 cars – border committee

August 21, Pozirk. More than 5,000 cars are waiting to enter the European Union from Belarus, with almost 4,700 passenger cars and 110 buses awaiting border processing at the Brest-Terespol checkpoint at the Polish border, the State Border Committee reports.

Belarusian border guards blamed their Polish counterparts for delays, noting that travelers wishing to enter the EU by car have to queue for up to six days. The Polish side reportedly cited the need for more thorough checks.

Belarus-registered passenger cars are banned from entering the Baltic states. Belarusians wishing to travel to the European Union by car can do so only via Terespol, the only crossing handling passenger traffic between Belarus and Poland after the closure of the checkpoint in Bobrowniki.

Warsaw linked the latter’s reopening to the release of Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut, imprisoned for eight years in Belarus in a criminal case widely seen as politically motivated.

Last year, Lithuania also closed four border crossings at its shared border with Belarus, leaving only Medininkai and Šalčininkai to handle the cross-border traffic. Vilnius cited national security, smuggling and international sanctions as the reasons.

Latvia operates one checkpoint at its border to Belarus after closing the Silene border crossing indefinitely over concerns about an illegal migration crisis at the Belarus-EU border continuing since spring 2021.

At that time, Alaksandar Łukašenka, angered by EU sanctions, had indicated that Minsk would not prevent migrants from Africa and Asia from using Belarus as a route to the EU. Belarus’ western neighbors call the migration crisis a “hybrid attack” orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow.

Politics

Politics

Latvia introduces new entry rules for Belarusians on September 1

August 21, Pozirk. Latvia will tighten border crossing procedures for nationals of several countries, including Belarus, starting September 1, press.lv reports.  Travellers wishing to enter Latvia will be required to complete an online questionnaire no later than 48 hours before …

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