Watch The Med Alarm Phone Investigations – 30th of September 2021

Case name: 20210930-BEL/POL003

Situation: Group from Yemen stuck at Belarus-Poland border

Status of WTM Investigation: Concluded

Place of Incident: Belarus/Poland

Summary of the Case:

On September 30, the Alarm Phone was alerted to a group of 15 people from Yemen, who were stranded at the border between Belarus and Poland. When we received the distress call, the group was already stuck in the border area for several days. It was reported that several people were sick. Videos shared with the Alarm Phone showed them being stuck at the border fence with border guards present on both sides. The people feared to die in the forest and reported attacks with dogs by Belarusian border guards.

At 12:14h, we publish a first tweet about the situation: SOS at the border between #Belarus & #Poland. We have been alerted to a group of 15 people. They are stranded & for several days without food. Belarusian forces threaten them with dogs. They can't move forth or back. Stop these deadly stand-offs & let them continue their journey! (https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1443519532035883017)

The day after, the people were still stuck at the border: “We are stuck. We are dying slowly”, they wrote to us. We alerted different authorities and organizations on both sides of the border, but without any concrete outcome. Many hours later, at 17:46h, the people were still stuck at the same location, without receiving any support despite their urgent call for help. Around midnight of October 1, we contacted the nearby hospital on the Belarusian city of Grodni, to demand medical intervention. At 00:50h of October 2, we reach the hospital by phone. However, they refused to intervene, claiming they had no ambulance, but assured us that local police would be informed.

At 02:41h, the people in distress sent us again their location: 53°45'53.7"N 23°33'10.9"E

At 07:45 the next morning, the people report about the violence they suffered from: “[…]the Poland guard push us back and the Belarusian guards threatened us not to come close to their border. We can’t talk with police or move out of this border. [...]. It is raining. We are freezing cold.”

As we found out later that day, the group had grown as 5 other people from joined them. Also the newly arrived were from Yemen. The group reported to have been stuck in the area for six days. Until Monday, October 4, we stayed in contact with the group and repeatedly sent alerts to authorities, hospitals and international organizations. Despite being aware of the unbearable situation of the people, the group did not receive any support. After we received another call for help of this group, we published another tweet: "It is like a prison life but without food." - this is what the people wrote us this morning. Since a week, they are forcibly stuck at the border between #Belarus and #Poland. Authorities on both sides are responsible for this situation - stop playing with people's lives! (https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1444985989978537987)

On Tuesday, we publish another tweet: The 15 people are still waiting for help. Red Cross is denied access to them, the people don't have food or water anymore. This is what European borders look like. (https://twitter.com/alarm_phone/status/1445377038290927617)

Until today, we don’t know what happened to the people and could not establish contact to them any more. Despite having alerted local authorities, Frontex, Red Cross, IOM, UNHCR, local hospitals and many other actors, the people were forcibly held in this remote border area for days.

GPS positions: 53°45'55.6"N 23°33'11.9"E @ 10.00 CEST, 30.09.53°45'53.7"N 23°33'10.9"E @02:41 CEST 2.10.53°45'54.5"N 23°33'10.7"E @ 09.36 CEST 5.10.