EC partially suspends visa agreement with Belarus

The European Council named it the “hybrid attack” of Minsk.

According to his decision, the suspension of parts of the agreement which reduces the requirements for documents and visa application tariffs would not affect ordinary Belarusian citizens, but only officials.

“We strongly condemn and reject the continued instrumentisation of migration by the Belarus regime”, Slovenian Interior Minister Ales Hoys, who heads the Council of Internal Affairs, said.

It is unacceptable for Belarus to play with people's lives for political purposes. Today's decision shows once again our common commitment to continue opposing this ongoing hybrid attack”, Hojs said.

The decision came after Poland closed a crossing Tuesday along its border with Belarus, because migrants on the Belarusian side tried to breach a fence, to enter Poland, EU member state.

Polish Prime Minister Matthews Morawiecki wrote on Twitter that “stability and the security of the entire EU is at risk”, due to the immigrant crisis, which has left about 4,000 people trapped along the Poland-Belarus border.

The immigrant crisis in this area is continuing for months now.

Thousands of people mostly from the Middle East and Asia have made attempts to cross the border of Poland illegally.

The European Union accuses the Belarus government of inciting the influx, in retaliation for the sanctions the EU has imposed against the Belarusic regime.

The European bloc has sanctioned the Belarusan regime due to the oppression of the opposition.