Biden Sanctions Belarus over Illegal Migrants to E.U. as Millions Cross Southern U.S. Border
The Biden administration is imposing sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus for allowing illegal migrants to flood its borders and into the European Union even as America’s porous southern border leaks upwards of a million illegal migrants into U.S. territory.
The United States on Wednesday joined the E.U., the United Kingdom and Canada in the sanctions on people and entities close to the Belarusian strongman who have all aided the channelling of migrants to the bloc’s borders.
In a joint statement, they said the sanctions were in response to “continuing attacks on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus, disregard for international norms and repeated acts of repression.”
The Lukashenko regime has drawn migrants to Belarus with promises of easy migration to Europe even as E.U. states accuse the regime of encouraging or forcing those migrant groups to rush the border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia for onward travel into Europe, AFP reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department published sanctions against 20 individuals and 12 entities, and imposed restrictions on dealings in new issuances of Belarusian sovereign debt, limiting the government’s ability to borrow money.
U.S. sanctions targeted people and entities including Lukashenko’s son, several aircraft and a fertilizer company.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our unwavering determination to act in the face of a brutal regime that increasingly represses Belarusians, undermines the peace and security of Europe, and continues to abuse people seeking only to live in freedom,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The United States on Wednesday joined the E.U., the United Kingdom and Canada in the sanctions on people and entities close to the Belarusian strongman who have all aided the channelling of migrants to the bloc’s borders.
In a joint statement, they said the sanctions were in response to “continuing attacks on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus, disregard for international norms and repeated acts of repression.”
The Lukashenko regime has drawn migrants to Belarus with promises of easy migration to Europe even as E.U. states accuse the regime of encouraging or forcing those migrant groups to rush the border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia for onward travel into Europe, AFP reports.
The U.S. Treasury Department published sanctions against 20 individuals and 12 entities, and imposed restrictions on dealings in new issuances of Belarusian sovereign debt, limiting the government’s ability to borrow money.
U.S. sanctions targeted people and entities including Lukashenko’s son, several aircraft and a fertilizer company.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our unwavering determination to act in the face of a brutal regime that increasingly represses Belarusians, undermines the peace and security of Europe, and continues to abuse people seeking only to live in freedom,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
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