WASHINGTON DC – The United States is closely monitoring Belarus’s encouragement and organization of migrants toward EU borders, describing the tactic as “weaponized migration” and a matter of serious concern, according to a senior State Department official.
Asked by Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent about Minsk’s actions forcing migrants toward EU borders such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, the official emphasized on Monday that the US is taking the issue seriously, particularly for countries bordering the nation.
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“On the Belarus point. … weaponized migration is definitely something of serious concern to the US, and I’m sure it’s a serious concern to countries that are bordering Belarus and are very proximate to that conflict. So it’s definitely something we’re taking a look at,” the official said.
The official added that the US Embassy in Belarus is involved in drafting the upcoming Human Rights Report, which will provide more detail early next year.
Refocusing human rights on mass migration
The official was speaking at a Washington Foreign Press Center briefing about the State Department’s latest decision to unveil a broader initiative aimed at reshaping its human rights agenda to address what the administration describes as the “mass migration crisis” in Europe.
This concern over Belarus’s actions serves as a potent example of a challenge the US is now seeking to officially document and confront.
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Last Thursday, the department sent a cable to US embassies across Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, instructing them to begin collecting data on “migrant-related crimes and human rights abuses facilitated by people of a migration background.”
The official said the directive reflects a wider effort by the Trump administration to approach human rights “without selectivity,” addressing issues previously overlooked because they were politically inconvenient or did not fit prevailing narratives.
The official emphasized that mass migration represents an “existential threat to Western civilization and the safety of both the West and the world.”
The cable is designed both to gather data and to engage allied governments on US concerns. The administration is signaling that it stands “ready, willing, and able” to support partners in addressing the crisis.
Concerns over judicial disparities
The official raised concerns about judicial disparities, describing a two-tiered system in which crimes committed by migrants often result in lighter punishments than comparable offences by locals.
While officials stressed that the US recognizes the benefits of targeted, high-skilled immigration for economic growth, they drew a clear distinction between that and the broader migration flows now affecting Europe and other Western nations.
“The phenomenon we’re talking about here is completely different,” the official said, arguing that the economic benefits of large-scale migration are “completely dubious” and do not reflect the experiences of local populations dealing with displacement, rising crime, and community strain.
On coordination with allies, the official confirmed that US Embassies have been instructed to engage directly with governments such as the UK, Sweden, and Germany to convey concerns, encourage data collection, and offer support.
“This administration has not been afraid to criticize our allies when we see serious problems,” the official said, framing the effort as part of a broader commitment to democracy, sovereignty, and human rights.