EU to expand sanction regime to people or entities pushing migrants to Belarus

The EU’s foreign ministers agreed today (15 November) to amend the sanctions regime in view of the situation at the EU’s border with Belarus. The EU will now be able to target individuals and entities organizing, or contributing to activities by the Lukashenko regime that facilitate illegal crossing of the EU's external borders.

The EU has strongly condemned the Lukashenko regime for deliberately putting people’s lives and wellbeing in danger, and stirring up the crisis at the EU’s external borders, which they see as an attempt to distract attention from the situation in Belarus, "where brutal repression and human rights violations are continuing and even worsening".

The EU High Representative Josep Borrell said that the EU had already made a lot of progress in stemming the flow of migrants from different countries. Vice-President Schinas’ visits to the UAE, Lebanon, and outreach to airline CEOs across the region has been effective. Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said that Turkish Airlines and Iraqi Airlines have been particularly accommodating, in addition the Arab Air Carriers Organisation and IATA have also helped. The Turkish authorities have agreed to prevent Belarus airline Belavia from using the Middle East network of Turkish Airlines, thus preventing it from flying migrants to Minsk via Istanbul.

Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis called for Minsk airport to become a no-fly zone, but also said that organisations, such as the United Nations, need to help with safe return of migrants who have arrived in Lithuania and Poland.  

Some have criticized the EU’s progressive expansion of measures against the regime. The European External Action Service’s spokesperson said that this gradual approach was the best approach and was proving to be successful. A total of 166 individuals and 15 entities are currently designated under the sanctions regime on Belarus. These include President Alexandr Lukashenko and his son and national security adviser, Viktor Lukashenko, as well as other key figures in the political leadership and the government, high-level members of the judicial system and several prominent economic actors. Measures against designated persons include travel bans and an assets freeze.

The Council decided in June to strengthen the existing restrictive measures in view of the deteriorating situation and as a result of the emergency landing of a Ryanair flight, flying between two EU airports, in Minsk by introducing a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds and imposing targeted economic sanctions. The new sanctions could include airlines, travel agencies and anyone who could be shown to be involved in the illegal push of migrants.

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