Extra British troops will likely be deployed to Poland’s border with Belarus to assist tackle the migrant disaster.
Hundreds of migrants, primarily from the Center East, have sought to cross into the European Union on the frontier between Poland and Belarus in latest weeks.
The UK and allies have accused Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko of engineering the disaster, with defence secretary Ben Wallace saying the migrants have been getting used as “pawns”.
The Every day Telegraph reported that about 100 troopers from the Royal Engineers will likely be despatched to assist bodily reinforce the Polish border though particulars of the deployment are nonetheless being labored out.
Mr Wallace, who visited British troops coaching in Poland, advised the newspaper: “Are you able to think about going from Iraq, to right here, onto a border, not a lot garments, not a lot meals, not a lot cash, after which being a pawn within the Belarusian chief’s sport? I believe that’s heartless and I believe it’s merciless.”
Western governments have accused Mr Lukashenko, an in depth ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, of intentionally encouraging the migrants to breach its borders in retaliation for sanctions the EU has imposed in response to his repressive rule.
Mr Wallace mentioned he believed Moscow would “see what that is about and recognise that, you recognize, Europe and Nato and the west is alert to what’s occurring”.
In the meantime, residence secretary Priti Patel lashed out on the European Union, claiming the open borders throughout the bloc had led to France being “overwhelmed” with migrants searching for to succeed in the UK.
“Let’s not overlook that the actual downside on unlawful migration flows is the EU has no border protections in any way – Schengen open borders,” she advised reporters throughout a visit to the US.
The Occasions reported that Ms Patel mentioned she had secured settlement from the French authorities that it will permit drones and different aerial surveillance and quantity plate-recognition cameras to trace the actions of migrants and other people traffickers in northern France.
“I believe it’s honest to say they [France] are overwhelmed. That could be a reality,” she mentioned.
PA
