Polish police reported on Saturday that the death of a young Syrian male was discovered near the Belarusian border in Poland, escalating international tensions over a migration crisis that the European Union accuses Minsk of orchestrating.
Thousands of Middle Eastern migrants are huddled in frigid temperatures on the border between Belarus and EU member nations Poland and Lithuania, who are refusing to allow them pass. Some have already perished, and as the severe winter weather sets in, there are concerns for the safety of the remainder.
“Yesterday, in the woods, near the border, near Wolka Terechowska, the body of a young Syrian man was found,” Podlaska Police said on Twitter.
The cause of death could not be determined at the site, according to the authorities.
The revelation comes as international tensions over the crisis rise, with Belarus' neighbors warning that the situation might spiral into a military conflict and US President Joe Biden voicing alarm.
On Saturday, Belarus stated that the number of migrants arriving at a makeshift border camp was increasing everyday, and that a group of up to 100 had crossed into Polish territory.
