Belarus airline to stop flying Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis from Turkey amid crisis - Belavia

Passengers queue near a check-in desk to register for a flight of Belavia Belarusian Airlines heading to Minsk at the Domodedovo Airport outside Moscow, Russia May 28, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Files

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarusian state-owned airline Belavia said on Friday it would stop allowing citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen to board flights from Turkey to Belarus at the request of Turkish authorities amid a migrant standoff between Belarus and Poland.

The European Union says Belarus is encouraging thousands fleeing war-torn parts of the world to try to cross its borders and may impose new sanctions on Belarus and airlines ferrying the migrants as soon as Monday.