Belarus state airline denies it is involved in trafficking migrants

Belarus’s state airline has strongly denied it is involved in any trafficking of vulnerable people to the border with the EU in the face of sanctions expected to target airlines and officials involved in the illegal movement of people. Belavia was responding to the suggestion that it was somehow implicated in the crisis on the Belarus-Poland border amid accusations that the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko is ferrying people to the EU border in retaliation for the bloc’s sanctions against his regime. Belavia said it could not refuse passengers with the correct documentation and did not operate in any of the countries where many of the people originated. “Belavia does not operate, and during the calendar year 2021 has not operated, scheduled or charter services to any of the following countries, which Belavia understands to be those countries which are the subject of allegations regarding migrant trafficking: Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and Syria,” it said. The airline went on: “Based on sales analysis, Belavia has blocked reservation and ticketing abilities for certain travel agencies considered at risk [of making] ticket sales to citizens from high-risk countries.” The statement came after the world’s leading regional aircraft leasing company said it was monitoring the crisis “very carefully”. Sources close to Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), which is based in Ireland, said it would “adhere to all restrictions introduced” by government or regulatory authorities and was liaising with its customers “to ensure the highest level of compliance with regulations”.<br/>