Cold, hungry, afraid: Mideast migrants stuck on EU doorstep

By RASHID YAHYA and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

DOHUK, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of people from Middle Eastern nations devastated by conflict have been trying to slip into the European Union since summer. They are using a backdoor opened by Belarus earlier this year. Some made it through, sneaking across the EU’s eastern border with Belarus, while others are stranded along the way under worsening conditions. One, a 19-year-old Iraqi taxi driver stuck in a forest on the Belarus border, says he’s cold, hungry and terrified after having been beaten and robbed. Others watching the scenes from the Middle East say they are still determined to make the journey, lured by the promise of jobs and stability in Europe. Demand for Belarus travel packages is high, despite rising prices and shrinking flight options.