Migrant crisis: More British troops deploy to reinforce Poland border amid Russia standoff
19 November 2021, 14:13 | Updated: 19 November 2021, 14:18
More British troops are deploying to Poland's border as the deadly migrant standoff with Belarus and Russia continues.
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A small contingent of UK military engineers has already deployed to the EU's frontier where around 3-4,000 mostly Middle Eastern migrants have assembled, hoping to cross into the bloc.
Now, around 100 more will be sent to physically reinforce the border with Belarus, although the operation's details still need to be ironed out.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told The Telegraph: "Can you imagine going from Iraq, to here, onto a border, not much clothes, not much food, not much money, and then being a pawn in the Belarusian leader's game? I think that's heartless and I think it is cruel."
Brussels has accused Minsk of trafficking those people there, with officials assuming they will try to get into Poland and cross over into Western Europe through the EU's open borders.
They fear it is a bid to destabilise the bloc, whose people still hold memories of the migration movements in the middle of the last decade, which generated serious political controversy.
Read more: Britain accuses Belarus of 'engineering abhorrent migrant crisis' on EU border
Read more: British troops deploy to Poland's border as migrant confrontation with Russia worsens
Migrant crisis 'lose-lose' situation for Belarus, and EU
Belarus denies it has acted in retaliation for sanctions imposed for the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters last year, following the heavily-criticised "re-election" of Alexander Lukashenko.
It has led to a tense stand off as Polish border guards clash with the migrants, who have camped out in bogs amid freezing conditions. At least nine people have died at the border.
Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, has heavily backed Lukashenko's regime.
Russian forces have flown nuclear-capable strategic bombers over the country and deployed paratroopers for military exercises at the border, in what was interpreted as a show of support for Minsk.
The confrontation is the latest in a series of standoffs with Russia, given fears it could also seek to invade Ukraine amid a large military build up there.
