The Daily

How Belarus Manufactured a Border Crisis

Nov 19, 2021
Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times, offers riveting insights into the manufactured migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border. He explains how Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko leverages this humanitarian disaster as a political tool against the EU. Troianovski highlights the dire conditions faced by thousands fleeing conflict, revealing the harsh realities and desperate choices of these asylum seekers. Will Lukashenko's gamble to gain recognition backfire, or will it shift the dynamics between Belarus and Europe?
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Discarded Belongings

  • Monika Pronczuk describes finding discarded belongings of migrants in the forest near the Belarusian border.
  • These included boarding passes, winter shoes, baby diapers, and even a box of eye shadow.
ANECDOTE

Syrian Brothers Rescue

  • Pronczuk recounts rescuing two Syrian brothers suffering from severe hypothermia.
  • A paramedic said they were rescued in the last moments of their lives.
INSIGHT

Migrant Origins and Hopes

  • Migrants at the border come from diverse regions including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
  • They hope to cross from Belarus into Poland, an EU member, to claim asylum.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app