State Secretary of Belarus’ Security Council: illegal migration is no longer local problem, but global threat
Belarus once again demonstrates the desire and initiative to practically solve the existing problem of illegal migration – as noted by the State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, Aleksandr Volfovich, on the side-lines of the international conference on combating illegal migration held today in Minsk
“Minsk has become an international political expert platform for discussing the issue of illegal migration, which is of concern to the world community at present. This is evidenced by the presence at our conference of representatives of many international organisations and the diplomatic corps who want to solve the problem," Mr. Volfovich stressed. “Unfortunately, there are no EU diplomats here, though they shout louder than others about illegal migration, but do not actually want to discuss the issue and find ways to its settlement.”
According to the State Secretary, illegal migration is no longer a local problem of certain regions, but a global threat. “It embraces Europe most of all. In Belarus, government agencies and special services dealing with this issue annually record over one and a half thousand detentions of illegal migrants at the border. Over the past year, about 60 channels of illegal migration were suppressed, more than 170 co-ordinators of that process were detained, and the prosecutor's office initiated more than a hundred cases. We are dealing with this issue, but what is happening in Europe, from the Mediterranean side? There have been more than 380 thousand detentions of illegal migrants. Who should be most concerned about this? Probably, it is the European Union, but – let me repeat – there is not a single European diplomat present today at our international conference (though everyone was notified about its holding),” he emphasised.
In order to stop the development of illegal migration and find ways to solve the problem, it is necessary to negotiate, and Mr. Volfovich stressed, “There should be a dialogue. It is necessary to develop constructive joint measures and organise close co-operation with the neighbouring countries: these are Poland and the Baltic States for Belarus. We have repeatedly urged through our Foreign Ministry and other channels to start joint work. The ways to solve the problem cover the spheres of the economy, politics, and the social sphere. People are fleeing not the good life. It is not Belarus that is a source of illegal migration. True, our country is geographically located between the East and the West. Since the route through Ukraine is closed, Belarus remains the only transit corridor through which people seek to get to the ‘blooming garden’, although the EU is not such.”
The State Secretary of the Security Council added, “Belarus is not interested in building fences on its border, not in harassing migrants, not in beating and humiliating people. Its goal is to develop concrete steps to counter illegal migration. That is why we are holding an international conference on this issue.”
The Measures Taken in Belarus to Combat Illegal Migration and Best Practices in Promoting Regional Co-operation in Solving the Problem international conference gathered about 150 participants at the National Library. It focused on Belarus' efforts in the fight against illegal migration. At the thematic sections of the conference, heads of government agencies and departments, as well as foreign experts, talked about the main challenges and lessons learned, the best examples of Belarusian practice, the role of migration in national development. In addition, the participants discussed international and regional co-operation in this area: the main trends and challenges of illegal migration, ways to overcome them, the role of partnership, and the exchange of experience of the countries of the region.
