The Council of the European Union amended its sanctions regime against Belarus on Monday, agreeing to step up sanctions in view of the situation at the EU’s border with Belarus. Belarus denounced as “absurd” Western accusations that it was driving a migrant crisis that has left thousands of people stranded on the EU border.

The Council reported that since October 2020, the EU has progressively expanded its restrictive measures in light of the situation in Belarus, in response to the fraudulent nature of the August 2020 presidential elections in Belarus.

Migrants began appearing on Belarus’ land borders with the EU earlier this year in an unprecedented attempt to cross into member states Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. Polish border guards have reported 5,100 attempted irregular crossings from Belarus so far in November, compared to 120 in all of 2020. Comparative numbers also spiked in the two Baltic states.

Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated:

Today’s decision reflects the determination by the European Union to stand up to the instrumentalization of migrants for political purposes. We are pushing back on this inhuman and illegal practice. At the same time, we continue to underline the unacceptable ongoing repression by the regime against its own population at home, and we will respond accordingly.

The council stated that a total of 166 individuals and 15 entities are now designated under the sanctions regime on Belarus, including Alexander Lukashenko and his son and national security adviser, Viktor Lukashenko, as well as other key figures in the political leadership and the government, high-level members of the judicial system, and several prominent economic actors. Measures against designated persons include travel bans and an assets freeze.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated: “[T]he European Union will not be held hostage. With the steps we’ve implemented in recent months, we have already made clear that we are taking decisive action against the perfidious and inhuman behavior of Mr. Lukashenko and his allies.” He outlined the aims of the Federal Foreign Office, including providing humanitarian aid for the people, stopping the illegal smuggling of migrants, and expanding and tightening EU sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.