Ukraine extradites man who organized illegal migrant smuggling to Poland – POLITICO

The perpetrators attempted to “disperse” up to a hundred illegal migrants in different European countries, divided into separate groups, according to the SBU statement.

The SBU and its Polish partners arrested several members of the human trafficking operation on EU territory last year, the SBU said without specifying where. The organizer of the illegal migration corridor was later arrested in the western Ukrainian town of Khmelnytskyi, the agency said.

“He was extradited to Poland, where he was on an international wanted list. There, the foreigner will be held responsible for crimes committed against European security,” the SBU said.

Earlier this month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland was facing a hybrid war against illegal immigration from Belarus, adding that the Polish government planned to strengthen fortifications along its border Eastern with Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

In 2021, Poland accused Belarus of letting thousands of undocumented migrants cross the border into the EU. Belarusian authorities have denied the accusations, although illegal migrants themselves admitted that the Belarusian government forced them to storm the border with Poland and even gave them tools to cut fences.