Belarus empties migrant camps as G7 ministers 'condemn' their treatment
CTV
Belarus on Thursday emptied the makeshift migrant camps at its main border crossing with Poland, marching hundreds of asylum-seekers to a nearby warehouse, while others were put on a flight and sent back to Iraq.
The move brought the migrants, many of whom are trying to escape conflict in the Middle East, out of the freezing cold, but uncertainty about their future remains. Some have chosen to brave the harsh weather, trying desperately to sneak into Europe.
"More than 500 went to cross the border illegally," said Polish border guard Katarzyna Zdanowicz.
Meanwhile, Belarus put 374 migrants on a plane destined for Iraq. A senior official said they aren't forcing anybody to go back, and those refusing to fly still wish to enter Europe.
One migrant who made it into Poland but died in the crossing was given a Muslim funeral in a small village on Thursday. All that the villagers knew about him was that he was about 30 years old and died of hypothermia.
