The EU has poured millions into Poland’s border enforcement — even as human rights groups accuse Warsaw of illegal pushbacks.

Summary

Poland is facing accusations of widespread human rights abuses at its Belarus border, including violent pushbacks of migrants who are later subjected to torture by Belarusian forces.

Despite these allegations, the EU allocated €52 million to Poland for border enforcement. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has maintained harsh migration policies, refusing to implement the EU Migration Pact requirements.

Rights groups warn that Brussels’ reluctance to confront Poland sets a dangerous precedent, with Oxfam stating: “The EU must stop bankrolling this pushback policy.”

  • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    135·
    5 hours ago

    Political environment doesnt justify human rights violations. We have these rules for a reason and if we start breaking them already before the war even starts, then we might as well surrender.

    Also since when does Germany have a refugee issue? Has someone listened to too much right wing propaganda?

    • Hikuro-93@lemmy.caEnglish
      82·
      4 hours ago

      That’s if this article is actually corroborated by truth and not subject to bias based on “allegations”, and to me I often question Politico’s thirst for clickbait titles. If so, yeah, Poland should be held accountable like anybody else, but until then I don’t blame them for not wanting to accept people from Belarus, a nation heavily influenced by Russia. Especially in current times.

      Has someone listened too much to actual regime propaganda? Because I remain critical of any sources telling me what to think.

      Do bother replying if you must for the sake of your pride, but know that I don’t engage in petty arguments or pissing contests.

      • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        42·
        4 hours ago

        This is not some super fresh disputed news topic, its well documented and has been happening everywhere on the eastern european borders for years. I have friends and family who have personally seen the violence inflicted by the soldiers and police that carry out these pushbacks with batons and attack dogs and guns. There is plenty of victim witnesses and video evidence.

        • Hikuro-93@lemmy.caEnglish
          31·
          4 hours ago

          Now your personal accounting based on proximity to the matter is something I believe more than mainstream media.

          Thank you for your perspective, as that sort of behavior by the border law enforcement is not correct.

          • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
            2·
            3 hours ago

            Individual experience carries little weight in my opinion. The evidence does and there is plenty of it and many articles over the years covering it: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/12/08/culture-of-impunity-across-eu-over-violence-against-migrants-ngo-warns

            The second edition of the “Black Book of Pushbacks” compiled by the Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN) documents more than 1,635 testimonies of human rights violations affecting almost 25,000 people over the past six years.

            They recount being beaten, kicked, humiliated through forced undressing, threatened with a firearm, arbitrarily detained and subjected to inhuman treatment inside a police station before being illegally pushed back both at the EU’s external borders and from deep within the territory of the bloc’s member states.

            BVMN meanwhile described itself as “concerned with the growing number of countries using disputed border regions, and so-called ‘neutral zones’ or ‘no-mans lands’ as a location of torture and inhuman treatment against people-on-the-move.”

            At least 17 people died between September and New Year’s Eve 2021 at the border between Belarus and Poland after being stranded in one such no man’s land by authorities on both sides of the border.

            Euronews is a company under majority ownership of the Hungarian dictator Victor Orban, so if even they report it this way im pretty confident the evidence is quite damning.

            For good measure some AP https://apnews.com/article/europe-treaties-united-nations-europe-european-mass-migration-crisis-698431db3975c8e5e018400cbad03a35