Sixth migrant dies on EU's eastern border with Belarus

WARSAW - The migrant death toll on the European Union's eastern border with Belarus rose to six on Friday with the death of an Iraqi man, as Polish campaigners warn of a humanitarian crisis.

Thousands of migrants - mostly from the Middle East - have crossed or tried to cross into the European Union from Belarus in recent months.

"A group of migrants from Iraq was detained last night 500 metres from the border with Belarus," the border guard service said on Twitter.

"One of the men died (probably of a heart attack) despite having received assistance from the patrol and an ambulance team," it said.

He is the fifth to die this week, and the sixth since August.

The EU has accused Belarus of orchestrating the influx of migrants in retaliation against EU sanctions over the regime's crackdown on dissent.

Most irregular migration into the EU is through the Mediterranean and the flow is unprecedented for the eastern EU states of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Non-governmental organisations have criticised Poland for imposing a border state of emergency that prevents charities from helping the migrants by banning all non-residents, including journalists.

Campaigners also accuse Poland of implementing a pushback policy, preventing the migrants from making asylum claims and forcing them back.

Asked about the pushbacks earlier this week, deputy interior minister Maciej Wasik said Poland was using "all legal means" to protect its border.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the government was "sensitive" to the fate of migrants.

"We are trying to help and save the life and health of all the illegal migrants who have crossed the Polish border and who are found in time," he wrote.

- 'Shocked and dismayed' -

The latest death comes after four people were found dead on Sunday in four different places along the 400-kilometre Belarus-Poland border - three inside Poland and one on the Belarus side.

Belarus last month also said it had discovered a dead Iraqi man near its border with Lithuania.

The UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration earlier this week said they were "shocked and dismayed" by the deaths.

"Groups of people have become stranded for weeks, unable to access any form of assistance, asylum or basic services," they said in a statement.

"UNHCR and IOM call for immediate access to those affected, in order to provide life-saving medical help, food, water and shelter, especially in light of the approaching winter," they said.

The organisations also said pushbacks "endanger lives and are illegal under international law".

Marysia Zlonkiewicz, from the refugee assistance group uchodzcy.info, on Thursday warned of a "humanitarian crisis" on the border as temperatures drop and urged the government to allow non-governmental organisations access.

Polish border guards this week said they detected 3,500 attempted or successful crossings in August.

So far in September, the number is more than 5,000.

By Dario Thuburn

Sixth migrant dies on EU's eastern border with Belarus

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