Young Syrian man found dead near Poland-Belarus border where migrants have gathered

The body of a young Syrian man was found in the woods in Poland, near the border with Belarus where migrants have massed.

Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko has for months been encouraging migrants, many of who are from Syria, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, to travel across its border into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

It has led to the three countries blocking the newly opened migration route, resulting in migrants gathering at the borders and the situation is growing more dangerous as winter approaches.

At least nine people have died in the political standoff, with the latest victim being a young Syrian man, thought to be about 20 years old, who was found on Friday near the village of Wólka Terechowska.

Polish police said the exact cause of death could not be determined and an autopsy would be performed.

A large number of migrants are in a makeshift camp on the Belarusian side of the border, and Polish authorities said there have been attempts to cross the border every day.

Poland's Border Guards agency on Saturday morning said in one case, Belarusian soldiers began destroying a temporary border barrier near the Polish village of Czeremcha and used laser beams against Polish security officers.

Meanwhile, a group of some 100 migrants was waiting to cross the border.

The Border Guards said: “Belarusians equipped the foreigners with tear gas, which was used toward the Polish services,” and added they had stopped the attempts to cross.

The EU blames Belarus President Mr Lukashenko for creating the illegal migration route in response to sanctions against his regime imposed after an election in 2020 deemed by the UK as "fraudulent" and a crackdown on internal dissent.

The sanctions were toughened after a Ryanair plane from Greece to Lithuania was diverted by Belarus to Minsk and journalist and opposition activist Raman Pratasevich was arrested.

Mr Lukashenko said Belarus would retaliate by weakening its border controls halting Western-bound illegal migration and drug trafficking. He argued the EU sanctions deprived his government of funds needed to contain flows of migrants.

Planes carrying migrants from Iraq, Syria and other countries began arriving in Belarus.

The crisis is creating another point of tension between the west and Belarus, along with its closest ally, Russia.

Russia this week sent armed forces to patrol in Belarus. But Russian President Vladimir Putin denied being involved in creating the migrant problem in Belarus' borders with the west.

He said no Russian aviation companies carried the migrants to Belarus, and blamed countries in the west for creating the crisis with military operations in Iraq and elsewhere.