October 10, Pozirk. Vadzim Pisarevič, deputy head of the Belarusian foreign ministry’s directorate for multilateral diplomacy, used a UN General Assembly event on October 9 to call on neighboring European Union countries to “stop the politicization of migration,” prompting a sharp response from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which accused Minsk of deliberately using migrants to pressure its neighbors.
Speaking at the Ninth Meeting of the UN General Assembly’s Second Committee in New York, Pisarevič complained that in recent years Belarus has “constantly heard strange accusations” of facilitating illegal migration “as part of a so‑called hybrid war.” He called for “cooperation” on migration and warned closing border crossings and building walls along Belarus’ border “will not solve any problems.”
Oļegs Iļģis, Latvia’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, who was speaking on behalf of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, replied the three Baltic states had faced “deliberate instrumentalization of migrants by Belarus” for more than five years, aimed at undermining their territorial integrity and national security.
Iļģis accused Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime of the escalation of its “hybrid campaign,” noting that Latvia had prevented around 12,000 illegal crossings from Belarus this year. He recalled the recent incident in which a group of masked gunmen attempted to push 20 migrants into the Latvian territory, shouting threats at Latvian border guards.
Iļģis said that similar incidents occur along other sections of the EU’s external border with Belarus and stressed that protecting those borders is a “European responsibility.” He condemned Belarus’ “deliberate exploitation of vulnerable people” from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, accusing Minsk of “luring” migrants to Belarus and “facilitating their dangerous journey” to Europe. These actions, he said, run counter to international human rights standards and expose migrants to exploitation, trafficking, and smuggling.
Iļģis added that Lithuania had initiated proceedings against Belarus at the International Court of Justice over alleged breaches of the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants.
