Over 2,000 refugees gather outside Polish border, start destroying fences

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Over 2,000 refugees gather outside Polish border, start destroying fences - Belarusian State Border Committee

MINSK. Nov 8 (Interfax) - The situation on the Belarusian-Polish border remains extremely tense, about 2,000 people have gathered in front of the barriers, the State Border Committee of Belarus said.

"Over 2,000 refugees, including a considerable amount of women and children, have gathered outside the Polish roadblocks on the border line. According to the foreigners, the end goal of their route is the European Union, where they want to seek protection, and they do not consider the territory of the Republic of Belarus as a place of stay," the committee said on its Telegram channel on Monday.

According to the committee, "refugees repeatedly tried to relay to the Polish side that they had left their countries because their lives were in danger."

"Despite the absence of refugees' aggressive actions at that point, Polish law enforcers involved aviation in putting psychological pressure instead of trying to clarify the existing situation. Additionally, they sprayed people seeking protection with tear gas," the State Border Committee said.

"In retaliation to unjustified use of non-lethal weapons, part of the refugees proceeded to more resolute actions and started destroying the Polish fences," it said.

Earlier on Monday, the Polish Defense Ministry reported new attempts by migrants to cross the border with Poland from the territory of Belarus illegally.

The situation on the border between Poland and Belarus exacerbated considerably after a large quantity of migrants from the Middle East and Africa had gathered on the Belarusian side of the border earlier on Monday.

The Polish Interior Ministry reported that the protection of the eastern border of the country had been reinforced and army reservists in the eastern voivodeships had been put on full alert.

According to the ministry, the Polish forces guarding the border with Belarus have already thwarted at least one attempt of breaking into the territory of Poland by illegal migrants.