Written by: INcontext International
Article source: www.incontextinternational.org
Polish border guards recorded at least 468 failed attempts by migrants to breach Poland’s frontier. Poland deployed additional troops to strengthen the border and to prevent refugees from crossing over. Small numbers of people that breached the fence have been detained and others were sent back to Belarus. An estimated 4,000 migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa are camped between the border of Poland and Belarus in sub-zero temperatures. Marta Gorczynska, a human rights lawyer who is in contact with some of the stranded migrants and refugees, reported that the conditions where they are located are very harsh and the access to food and water is very limited.
Poland and other EU states accuse Belarus of encouraging the migrants and refugees to cross as retribution for Western sanctions on Minsk (the capital of Belarus) over President Alexander Lukashenko’s crackdown on dissent after last year’s disputed election. Mr Lukashenko denies such accusations. At the end of October 2021, the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) appealed for urgent action to save lives and prevent further suffering at the border areas between Belarus and the European Union after the death of an asylum-seeker – to date, these pleas have not been acted upon.
According to the Joshua Project, Poland is home to over 37 million people and Belarus 9 million people. The majority of Poland’s (89.5%) and Belarus’ population (69.4%) profess to be Christian. The Bible speaks at length about the Lord’s heart towards the foreigner and how they should be treated. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 says that the Lord “loves the foreigner” and that He requires His children to love the foreigner as well. These migrants are fleeing poverty, war, and repression in the hope of creating a new life for themselves and their loved ones. Most are fleeing nations where the gospel of Christ might not have been easily accessible and are seeking asylum in nations where the gospel is freely available. They need to be received with the love and heart of Christ.
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Date published: 17/11/2021
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