“Rent a Plane? No Problem”: A New Investigation on the Belarusian Route of Illegal Migrants

How illegal immigrants from Iraq get through Minsk to the EU.

The path along which illegal immigrants from Iraq and Syria are delivered to Belarus and then to Poland and Germany, is full of risks and dangers. Deutsche Welle has published a new investigation on the dubious issuance of Belarusian visas and airplane rentals.

First of all, the numbers: since the beginning of October, the Polish border services have recorded 11,300 attempts to illegally enter the country from Belarus. In total, about 23,000 such attempts have been registered this year. Once in Poland, many migrants seek to reach the German border. According to the German police, 4,900 migrants illegally entered the FRG through Belarus and Poland in October - twice as many as in September.

This year, the German police registered 7,300 unauthorized attempts to enter the country along the Belarusian route, which arose after the ruler of Belarus Aliaksandr Lukashenka announced in the spring that he would no longer stop illegal immigrants heading to the EU. By what means do migrants get to Minsk, and where are they from?

Where do migrants come from?

Most of the illegal migrants trying to get to the European Union through Belarus are Iraqi citizens. Less common among them are residents of Syria, Congo, and Cameroon. They arrive in the capital of Belarus mainly from three cities on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil, Shiladze, and Sulaymaniyah - under pressure from the EU, Iraq has canceled direct flights to Minsk from Baghdad since August.

According to local travel agencies, migrants also travel to Belarus via Dubai, Turkey, Lebanon, and Ukraine. The number of direct flights to Minsk from Beirut, Damascus, and the Jordanian capital Amman has also noticeably increased.

How much does it cost to get to the EU?

According to various estimates, a trip from Iran to the EU costs from 12 thousand to 15 thousand euros - this amount includes a visa, a flight to Minsk, and money to smugglers for their transportation to Europe. An employee of one of the travel agencies in Baghdad, on condition of anonymity, told DW that the Belarusian consulate in the city of Erbil "transferred the visa processing to several travel agencies."

Until recently, his travel agency also handled Belarusian visas, but it no longer accepts applications. “I don’t want to jeopardize my business,” explains DW's source. It usually takes between five days and two weeks to issue a visa, he said.

How to get a Belarusian visa?

Several other sources confirmed to DW that now applications for obtaining Belarusian visas are accepted not by the Belarusian embassy in Iraq but by Belarusian diplomatic missions in other countries. On Youtube, you can find a video of the Russian company Made in Russia 24, which says that citizens of Syria and Iraq can no longer enter Belarus as tourists by invitation if it bears a stamp put at the airport of departure.

The company, which, among other things, offers services for obtaining Belarusian tourist visas, explains that now this requires the so-called "visa sticker," which can be obtained at the embassies of Belarus. Visas to Iraqi citizens are issued by the Belarusian diplomatic department in Ankara.

The independent Belarusian channel Belsat.eu, citing a message from the local Internet portal KYKY.org, reports that twelve travel agencies in the country have received tacit permission to issue visas to foreigners.

"Take the opportunity"

In Istanbul, the VIP Grub passport and visa service advertises its services: it promises to deliver its clients to Europe "the traditional way," adding that "Europe needs foreign workers." "Only European airlines. 1.2 million refugees are needed. Take advantage of the opportunity. Pay us on arrival," VIP Grub's Facebook ad reads.

The companies registered in the EU are currently renting the planes of the Belarusian national airline Belavia. EU foreign ministers want to stop this practice and are considering the possibility of imposing penalties.

"Belavia airline offers direct flights to Minsk from Istanbul, Dubai, and other cities. You just need to get there. It's a little more expensive, but still possible," says DW Baghdad tour operator.

Rent a plane? No problem

Ireland is the center for the leasing of aircraft - Irish companies operate more than half of all leased aircraft in the world. Some firms still lease planes to the Belarusian air carrier Belavia, which in turn uses them to deliver migrants to the EU's borders.

Irish companies say they are obliged to lease aircraft in accordance with previous agreements. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney says his country supports the sanctions and against Belarus, however, they do not apply to previously concluded lease agreements.

Other airlines such as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have much stricter passenger control procedures. But as the Baghdad travel agency notes, it is often difficult to determine the true nature of travel. “Hundreds of Iraqis fly to Turkey and Dubai every day. It is impossible to determine which of them intend to go to Belarus,” the agency's representative explains.