Natalia Esmond, press secretary of the president of Belarus, said on the 18th that the vast majority of refugees stranded on the border between the country and EU countries refused to be repatriated. They asked for a humanitarian corridor to Western Europe. According to Belarusian media reports on the 18th, Esmond said in response to questions about the situation of border refugees and the response measures of Belarus that there are about 7000 refugees in Belarus, of which about 2000 are detained in temporary camps at the border, and another 200 to 500 are forcibly driven out after entering Poland and scattered in other parts of the border. Esmond said that President Lukashenko of Belarus made a proposal during a telephone conversation with Chancellor Angela Merkel of the German caretaker government a few days ago that the European Union should open humanitarian corridors for about 2000 refugees, and Belarus would assist the remaining about 5000 refugees to return to their countries of origin as appropriate and willing. Merkel agreed to discuss the proposal with the EU. Esmond said that Belarus abides by its commitments and strives to fulfill its repatriation responsibilities, but the EU has not taken any measures to establish a humanitarian corridor. At present, only about 400 refugees have agreed to return to their own countries. The vast majority refuse to leave and insist on providing humanitarian corridors to Western European countries such as Germany. According to Belarusian media reports, refugees currently stranded on the white border are housed in a logistics center building for heating and accommodation. Belarus has provided the refugees with sufficient water and food, as well as humanitarian supplies such as thermal insulation supplies. Medical personnel also conducted COVID-19 tests for refugees, and a confirmed patient was sent to hospital for treatment. At present, Belarus is organizing refugees to receive the new crown vaccine. It is also reported that the first batch of 374 refugees returned to Iraq by plane sent by Iraq on the 18th. Some refugees said before boarding home that they had tried to cross the border into Poland seven times, but failed. Because of the cold weather and bad conditions, they decided to return to Iraq. Recently, thousands of refugees tried to enter EU countries such as Poland and Lithuania from Belarus and finally went to Western Europe, most of them from the Middle East. Poland and other countries strengthened border control and strictly prevented illegal entry, resulting in a large number of immigrants staying at the border. Poland and other countries accused Belarus of planning the crisis in retaliation for the previous EU sanctions against Belarus. Belarus said that the sanctions made Belarus unable to control the inflow of immigrants. (outlook new era)