Warsaw Expects New Afghan Migrant Flow at Border Organized by Minsk in Next Months

WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland is preparing for hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants at its border with Belarus, Government Spokesman Piotr Muller said on Friday, claiming that the influx is being organized by Minsk.

"We are ready to see more organized migration flows in the next months. This time, based on diplomatic and intelligence information that comes from our services, as well as from the services of our partners, we can say that these are organized migration flows from Afghanistan," Muller told reporters.

According to the spokesman, the new wave of migrants is not autonomous but being orchestrated by the Belarusian authorities "and criminal groups affiliated with this state."

"This is a risk that could emerge in the coming weeks, in the coming months on a larger scale. We are talking about the risk of a migration reaching hundreds of thousands people or more," Muller added.

Thousands of illegal migrants have gathered at Belarus' borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia since summer, attempting to cross into the European Union. The three EU countries have accused Belarus of fostering illegal migration, which Minsk denies.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia enhanced their border control and began building border fences, meanwhile repelling the migrants’ attempts to cross the border with tear gas and water cannons. Last month, evacuation flights were launched for migrants who wanted to return home voluntarily.