Opinion: more refuges are likely to come to Belarus in transit from the EU

Days are becoming colder, and this is a wake-up call for migrants – as noted by Dmitry Shevtsov, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross Society, in his talk with Alfa Radio

According to Mr. Shevtsov, a complicated geopolitical situation and political ambitions of some states are aimed these days at attracting a large number of people, but some countries did not expect to face such an intensive influx of migrants.

“There are about 5m Ukrainian refugees in Poland, where about 50m live. This means they account for almost 10 percent of the population, and these citizens need humanitarian assistance. People spread across several countries [of the European Union]. Europe's political crisis should also be taken into account. It is getting cold, and winter is coming. This is quite a wake-up call for migrants. We faced such a problem when refugees from the Middle East [in January 2022] came to us. At present, some countries are physically unable to cope with the number of people arriving. However, migrants themselves will look for where they are better off. I assume that – with the onset of cold weather – an increasing number of people will head to Belarus, and this trend is already observed. They understand that it is safe here, housing and work are also provided. A person here can immediately socialise, and it is much easier and more convenient. Therefore, I think the number of migrants – transiting through the European Union – will grow," he stated.