Belarus: fifth package of sanctions will be finalised in the coming days

On 15 November, the Council of the European Union agreed on the adoption of a new package of sanctions, the 5th one, which will be finalised in the coming days, according to press remarks by EU High Representative Josep Borrell after the Foreign Affairs Council and Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting in Brussels.

“It will affect a quite important number [of people and entities]… By expanding the scope of the sanctions, we will be able to target those responsible for exploiting vulnerable migrants and facilitating illegal border crossings into the European Union”, said Borrell.

The Council of the European Union amended its sanctions regime in view of the situation at the EU’s border with Belarus, so as to be able to respond to the instrumentalisation of human beings carried out by the Belarus regime for political purposes.

Borrell added: “We can start solving this problem by stopping the flow of people to Belarus, and those who are already in Belarus must be given humanitarian assistance. Those who do not qualify to be considered refugees must be returned back to their countries of origin.” 

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