Pavel Volkov, Izvestiya, Russian Federation
The migration crisis on the Belarusian border emerged in the spring of 2021 due to a sudden flood of illegal migrants, mainly from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan seeking to get into the EU. A large spontaneous refugee camp numbering several thousand people sprung up on the Polish-Belarusian border. Unable to enter Poland, these people put together makeshift huts and tents for shelter, or spent the night out in the open. There were many women and small children among them. At night they lit bonfires to keep themselves warm, and in the morning, they gather firewood for the next night. In addition to a scarcity of food in the camp, there were almost no medical supplies, and people suffered from hypothermia and hunger. Deaths among the refugees were also recorded. Later, the Belarusian authorities moved these refugees to be housed at a large hangar close to the border. Some of the migrants were never able to get to EU, so they had to return to their homeland. Some left the camp for the woods.