‘Europeans should raise their voice for the migrants at Polish-Belarusian border’

Norwegian activist Lida Weerts, a member of the Defend Kurdistan Initiative, has taken part in a Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) delegation which undertakes various activities for the migrants on the Polish-Belarusian border. “We are looking for ways or methods to help people. I think that we should protest it all over Europe. People should stand up against it. They should show that they do not accept this political game,” she said.

Norwegian activist Weerts, who is currently in Poland, was interviewed by ANF.

According to the information available to you, how many migrants are currently piled up at the border? Do you have data on the number of those people?

I don’t have personal observations, but as far as I have heard from people, there are 3-4 thousand people at the border. Moreover, Belarus is pushing refugees to its border with Lithuania. So, there are people not only on the Poland border, but also on the Lithuanian border.

As far as we can see, international great powers such as the UN and the EU, including the US and Germany, do not take any firm action over this issue. There are also allegations that Turkey and Belarus are using the migrants as a trump card. What can you say about this?

Right, Turkey, Russia and Belarus are clearly working together. They are using the refugees for their own interests. That’s why these people have gone that far away from their homeland. In the meantime, the EU wants to show Belarus that it is a great power. It’s a big game and no one wants to take a step back. It is a very bad, terrible thing.

Do you think that the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the ruling party in South Kurdistan, has a role in this game, and if so, how?

I think that the KDP people have a role in the migrants’ escape from Bashur (South Kurdistan). I was in Bashur in September and met a lot of people there. Everyone I talked to told me that they wanted to leave Bashur. Therefore, the KDP has a role in this problem.

Do you think that the European countries should review their relations with the Kurdistan regional government because of the refugee problem?

Definitely. They should see what is going on in Kurdistan, but this problem needs to be solved urgently in the first place. This is really important.

What is the solution in your opinion? Is there a solution offered by the EU or international powers?

I think that they don’t want to do anything. They should take a stand for the people at the border. The European people should put pressure on the EU to do something. I don’t think that Belarus will do anything. We, people living in the EU, have to put pressure on the EU.

I would also like to add that the situation here in Poland is like hell. The situation is also like hell in Belarus across the border! Thousands of Polish soldiers want to kill the migrants if they come to this side of the border. Due to the thick forests and bad weather conditions, the migrants cannot pass the border. They get sick and face problems. Today, we visited a lot of sick migrants at a hospital. It is impossible to cope with the conditions in the forest. That’s why people want to leave the woods, but soldiers shoot them. They send the migrants directly to the Belarusian side. The situation in Poland is really difficult.

Do you have a message for the international community?

I think that the people in Europe should raise their voice and say that they do not accept this situation. Everyone I talk to says that this is so terrible, and they don’t accept it. Therefore, they should stand up and raise their voices. I think that we should protest it all over Europe. People should stand up. They should say that they do not accept this political game.