SULAIMANI (ESTA) — German foreign ministry on Friday said talks with Iraq to stop migrants’ flights to Belarus were successful, adding that Jordan has also cancelled several charter flights.
German authorities have registered 4,889 unauthorized arrivals with a connection to Belarus so far in October, which is more than a half of all such arrivals this year, according to Reuters.
Poland, Lithuania and the EU have accused Belarus of encouraging migrants, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan, to cross their borders as a form of pressure on the bloc over sanctions Brussels has imposed on Minsk over human rights abuses.
Iraq suspended direct flights from Baghdad to Minsk in August under EU pressure. Migrants are now flying via Dubai or Turkey, Reuters cited smugglers, residents, travel agencies and the honorary Belarusian consul in Erbil as saying.
The trips can cost up to $12,000 including flights and being smuggled overland once in Europe, according to Reuters.
