Syrian migrants in Belarus sent back to Damascus in first repatriation flight
Syrian migrants in Belarus sent back to Damascus in first repatriation flight
Just under 100 Syrians left Belarus for Damascus on Wednesday, in what is believed to be the first repatriation flight since the migrant crisis at the Belarus-Poland border began
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The repatriation returned Syrians stranded on the Belarusian-Polish borderÌýin aÌýborder crisisÌýwhich saw thousands of refugees attemptÌýto cross into the EU via Belarus [Getty]
The first returning Syrian migrants to DamascusÌýfrom left Minsk National Airport on Wednesday, according to state media.
The flight, chartered by a Airbus, contained 96 passengers and took off at 08:24 local time (05:24 GMT),ÌýBelarus' BELTA state news agency said,Ìýciting the Telegram channel of Minsk National Airport.
The repatriation, which AFPÌýreportedÌýis the first of its kind, returned Syrians stranded on the Ìýin a crisisÌýthat saw thousands of refugees attemptÌýto cross into the EU via Belarus and put hundreds of migrants camped outÌýin freezing conditionsÌýat risk.
Repatriation flights from the EU member began in mid-November, as haveÌýbeen returned home since.
Thousands of migrants flocked to the Belarus border with Poland last month, with around 2,000 setting up makeshift camps in freezing conditions at the frontier, before border guards cleared the camps and the migrants moved to a logistics centre.
Some migrants say they were told by people smugglersÌýthat they would easily be able to get into the EUÌýfromÌýÌýfor a sum of money - $3,390 each -Ìýpaid to anÌýintermediary in Turkey.ÌýÌý
The EU accused Belarus ofÌýÌýto the EU's border to destabilise the continental blocÌýas revenge for sanctions against President Alexander Lukashenko's regime.
Belarus has denied orchestrating the crisis and criticisedÌýthe EU for not taking in the migrants.
The United States, Canada and European allies also recently announced fresh sanctions on Belarus over the border crisis, placing restrictions on government figures and entities, whichÌýBelarus denounced as "absurd" last week.
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