By Charlotte Bruneau, Joanna Plucinska and Yara Abi Nader

SULAIMANIYA/HAJNOWKA (Poland) – Kamaran Mohamed and his family travelled from north Iraq to Belarus in order to be tourists.

These were just a few of the thousands of tourists granted visas by travel agencies from the Middle East who partnered with Belarus tour operators. Witness accounts, documents, and other evidence show that they were part of the many people given tourist visas.

The family arrived in Minsk a few days later. They made their way to Belarus and Poland to join a group of Afghans, Syrians, Iraqis and other people trying to cross into Europe to begin a new life.

Mohammed said that planes transport tourists who aren’t going to tourism. He spoke on Thursday at his residence in Sulaimaniya, northern Iraq.

“The Belarusian government understands very well that these people do not travel to Poland as tourists.

Mohammed and his family managed to make it to Poland but not for long. On Oct. 31, they were returned to Iraq and deported. This is a reminder of how risking your lives and spending thousands of dollars are not guarantees of success in the EU.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the account.

Tensions have been stoked by the migrant crisis between Russia and the West. Moscow dispatched nuclear-capable aircraft to inspect Belarusian skies. Bordering nations raised concern that tensions could escalate into military confrontation.

    The European Union has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the influx of migrants to pressure it to back down over sanctions slapped on his government.

Reuters has seen documents from Lithuania and Poland that show they have provided documentation proving at least one Belarusian state owned travel agency made it possible for potential migrants to visit the country starting in May. A state carrier, however, more than doubled flights along a popular route with asylum seekers.

Lukashenko denied being involved in the crisis. He has however stated that he will not stop the flow of migrants because of EU sanctions imposed last year after the disputed presidential elections and the subsequent crackdowns on protesters.

Reuters interviewed more than 30 potential migrants and migrants from the Middle East to create this article. They were present at the border between Belarus and Poland as well as in migrant centers in Poland.

Only 20 people gave details about the visas they used to travel and almost all stated that they were only for tourism. According to Poland, nearly 200 Iraqis were granted visa support by a Belarusian state-run travel agency in order to go hunting or other activities.

Recent months have been characterized by relative ease in obtaining documents to allow passage to Belarus from migrant workers and agents working in Turkey or Iraq.

Although it was expensive – Iraqi migrants claimed they paid between $1250 and $4,000 to reach Minsk. However, thousands of people have traveled the route, getting visas through Belarusian companies and flying commercially since spring.

According to people who travel to the border, the rise in migrants is being helped by small businesses, agents, smugglers, and drivers looking to make a profit.

    Several migrants near the border told Reuters that Belarusian border guards helped them try to cross into Poland or turned a blind eye when they did so. They gave wire cutters to two separate migrants.

The Belarusian authorities didn’t respond to inquiries for comment regarding allegations that they had facilitated the migration crisis.

On Monday, however, Belarus’ Foreign Ministry stated that allegations that Minsk caused the European Union crisis along its borders were absurd.

Russian news agency RIA quoted the ministry saying that Belarus has tightened its border controls, and Belavia state-owned aircraft had not carried any illegal migrants.

SAFER ROUTE TO EUROPE

Reuters spoke with many migrants saying they came to Europe because they could not see a better life for their family or children in Syria and Iraq. A few said that they wanted to return to their family or friends by entering the EU.

It was easier to reach Europe on land than it was by sea. This made sense especially for families with small children. In 2021, many people discovered that visas had become more easily available via social media. Agents and middlemen offered their services.

Hussein al-Asil, an Iraqi living in Ankara and offering travel services for tourists or migrants is Hussein al-Asil.

His clients were invited by three Belarusian business partners. He also handled passports that had been sent from Iraq. After their return, the owners of these passports could travel via Turkey to Minsk. Asil says that it was more difficult for Iraqis to obtain visas to Belarus in the past year.

Asil stated that he was charged $1250 per person, which is the lowest price he could charge for travel.

He said, “The Belarus embassy knows this person isn’t going to tourism.” What kind of tourism is that, to buy a ticket on a plane for $800, and obtain a visa at $1,250? They are aware that they will be going to Europe.

The spring saw more flights to Minsk.

Belavia flew from Istanbul to Minsk 28 times in February 2021 and 31 times March. Flightradar24 data shows that this number has more than doubled by July to 65.

Turkish Airlines also increased their flights along the same route, jumping to 64 and 808 respectively in July and August. This is up from 32 and 3 in March and April. The combined flights of both airlines to Minsk were 124 in October.

That has been countered with EU action. Baghdad reacted to Brussels’ pressure and suspended all flights from Iraq to Minsk in the autumn.

Belavia, Turkish Airlines and Turkish Airlines announced on Friday that they will no longer be taking passengers from Yemen, Syria, or Syria to Minsk. This is except for diplomats.

On Saturday, Cham Wings Airlines (a private Syrian airline) told Reuters that it had cancelled flights from Minsk.

«EVERY DAY FRIENDS LEAVE»

Most migrants move to Minsk quickly once they arrive. Residents of the city reported that they have seen an increase in migrants from the Middle East who are now waiting on tables in Malls and sleeping on benches to buy provisions for their next journey.

Some of the migrants that made it to Poland claimed they were attacked by border guards from Belarus and chased across frontiers. The migrants faced fear, exhaustion, hunger and thirst.

Belarusian authorities didn’t immediately reply to my request for comment.

Umm Malak (26-year-old Iraqi girl) told Reuters she was weeks from giving birth to her first child. She and her family had been shunted six times between Poland and Belarus before reaching a migrant center in Bialystok.

Her husband, their three daughters and she waded through deep water to hide in cold woods.

Polish police spokesmen said that police didn’t conduct actions such as returning migrants to the border. She was not able to get comment from the Polish Border Guard or Belarusian authorities.

Umm Malak may consider herself lucky.

Many migrants fail to make it into Europe and have to flee to their country of origin or return to Minsk. Eight migrants died crossing the border, and there are increasing fears for their safety as winter approaches.

Fabrice Leggeri director of Frontex EU’s border agency warned that despite increasing restrictions on travel from the Middle East, Minsk and elsewhere, the EU must prepare for an increase of immigrants trying to enter the country.

Already, the numbers have risen. Over 17,000 attempts were made to illegally cross the border in Poland in October according to the Polish Border Guard. That’s more than twice as many attempts as in September. Additionally, thousands of migrants were sleeping near Belarus’ border with Poland.

In northern Iraq, at Said Sadiq Barber Warzer Ibrahim stated that dozens of Iraqi Kurdistan residents had fled to Belarus for work in the past weeks.

Two-year-old dad of two, aged 37 years old, has made the decision to move in with them.

I have an eight-year old child, and she cannot write. Why? It’s because school isn’t good. It’s not a good school.

“I can see images of people walking through the forest every day. But I don’t fear them. Belarus’ hardship is temporary. It could last for a week or two. Here, however, it’s every day.

The Kurdistan region government in Iraq said to Reuters that it is investigating travel agents who were involved with the exodus and that politicians and smugglers are responsible for the current crisis.

Ibrahim claimed that he paid $1,600 each for his four-member family to travel to Minsk. Many would-be immigrants claimed that they sold their land or homes in order to fund fares, hotel stays, and the bribes of smugglers.

Ibrahim said, “Everyday to see your dear friend go.” They leave Belarus for the first time after 20 years of friendship. You don’t know what they will do. This is very difficult. However, I continue to say “Go!” and that it’s better than being here.

(Charlotte Bruneau, Joanna Plucinska, and Yara Abi Neder reported from Suleimaniya. Additional reporting by Ako Raheed and Ali Sultanin Sulaimaniya. Alan Charlish is in Warsaw. Abdallah Issam, Can Sezer and Natalia Zinets are in Kyiv. Dmitry Antonov was in Moscow. Andrius Sytas were in Vilnius. Writing and editing by Mike Collett–White