Poland to declare state of emergency to block wave of migrants

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Poland will declare a state of emergency for the first time since the end of communist rule over the influx of illegal migrants.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the Belarus government deliberately attempted to push immigrants into the country to destabilize it.

The government asked Polish President Andrzej Duda to declare a state of emergency on Tuesday in two regions.

Migrants from Afghanistan and Iraq are entering the country illegally through Belarus. Among those are 32 Afghans including four women, 27 men and a 15-year-old-girl. The migrants have been held at the border for three weeks after being pushed out by Poland.

The Polish and Belarusian Red Cross were brought to the scene on Wednesday to provide basic support.

A state of emergency will restrict reporting in the area since it will ban the use of recording equipment, prevent asylum-seekers from accessing legal aid, and restrict NGOs and humanitarians.

It was reported that Belarusian border guards are helping people cross into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka said he wouldn't stop the illegal crossings.

In early August, President Joe Biden issued an executive order against the Belarusian regime, accusing it of repressing human rights and democracy.