Iraq to Repatriate Citizens Stuck on Belarus-Poland Border

Migrants walk towards the Bruzgi-Kuznica Bialostocka border crossing in an attempt to cross the Belarusian-Polish border in the Grodno Region, Belarus November 15, 2021.
Migrants walk towards the Bruzgi-Kuznica Bialostocka border crossing in an attempt to cross the Belarusian-Polish border in the Grodno Region, Belarus November 15, 2021.
TT

Iraq to Repatriate Citizens Stuck on Belarus-Poland Border

Migrants walk towards the Bruzgi-Kuznica Bialostocka border crossing in an attempt to cross the Belarusian-Polish border in the Grodno Region, Belarus November 15, 2021.
Migrants walk towards the Bruzgi-Kuznica Bialostocka border crossing in an attempt to cross the Belarusian-Polish border in the Grodno Region, Belarus November 15, 2021.

Iraq Airways will carry out a repatriation flight on Thursday to bring Iraqis stuck on the Belarus-Poland border back home, the national flag carrier said on Wednesday.

Polish security forces used water cannon on migrants who threw rocks across the border, video footage shared by authorities showed on Tuesday.

The EU has accused Belarus of flying in thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa and pushing them to cross into EU and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in retaliation for sanctions already imposed on Minsk. Belarus has denied deliberately fomenting the crisis.

It blames the West for the humanitarian disaster that is building on its border with Poland.

An estimated 4,000 migrants are at the border and many say Belarusian authorities are not allowing them to return to Minsk.

So far about 150 to 200 Iraqis already in Minsk have registered to fly home.

A first flight to evacuate Iraqi migrants from Belarus is planned for Thursday, Russia's RIA news agency cited Iraq's ambassador to Moscow as saying on Wednesday.

Iraq's Moscow embassy offered last week to help evacuate Iraqi nationals from Belarus.



UN Mission in Lebanon Needs Different Rules of Engagement, Says Italy

12 October 2024, Lebanon, Qliyaa: United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peace keeping troops from the Spanish contingent conduct an early morning patrol in the southern Lebanese village of Qliyaa. Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Photo: Stringer/dpa
12 October 2024, Lebanon, Qliyaa: United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peace keeping troops from the Spanish contingent conduct an early morning patrol in the southern Lebanese village of Qliyaa. Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Photo: Stringer/dpa
TT

UN Mission in Lebanon Needs Different Rules of Engagement, Says Italy

12 October 2024, Lebanon, Qliyaa: United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peace keeping troops from the Spanish contingent conduct an early morning patrol in the southern Lebanese village of Qliyaa. Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Photo: Stringer/dpa
12 October 2024, Lebanon, Qliyaa: United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) peace keeping troops from the Spanish contingent conduct an early morning patrol in the southern Lebanese village of Qliyaa. Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL bases in south Lebanon wounding two soldiers. Photo: Stringer/dpa

The 16 EU countries contributing to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, believe its rules of engagement need to be more effective, an Italian defense ministry statement said on Wednesday.

The European Union allies also think pressure must be applied to prevent any more attacks by Israeli forces on UNIFIL positions, the statement said.

According to Reuters, the Italian readout followed a call between the defense ministers of the 16 countries, taking place days after Israeli attacks on UN bases in Lebanon, and ahead of a Friday visit to the country by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The statement said a "key point that emerged from the meeting was a shared willingness to exert maximum political and diplomatic pressure on Israel so that no further incidents occur."

It also said "that Hezbollah cannot use UNIFIL personnel as shields in the context of the conflict".