Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs, says the EU is "ready to implement sanctions" on Belavia, the national airline of Belarus. He was speaking at a press conference after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. 

The government in Minsk is accused of using the national carrier to fly in migrants from countries in the Middle East before helping them to reach the borders of EU nations such as Poland and Latvia. President Lukashenko has repeatedly denied the accusations. 

EU leaders are set to gather for a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday this week, with pressure building on the bloc to impose a fresh round of sanctions on Belarus.

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'Stricter sanctions' 

As he arrived at the meeting on Monday morning, Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called for "stricter sanctions" and specific measures towards Belavia. The carrier leases planes from companies in several EU countries, such as Ireland. 

Simon Coveney, Ireland's foreign minister, said his country is "open to a new round of sanctions targeting individuals in Belarus." He added, though, that it's unclear how "existing contracts" for Irish firms could be "unwound legally." 

Belarusian airlines have already been banned from flying in EU airspace.

Freezing to death 

In recent months, activists and international journalists have found migrants in forested areas along the Poland-Belarus border, suffering from lack of food and water and sleeping on the ground in freezing temperatures. Polish border guards have also reported multiple deaths in the area, with migrants dying from exhaustion and hypothermia. 

The EU imposed a sweeping set of economic sanctions on Belarus in June after a Ryanair flight carrying an opposition activist was forced to land in Minsk and then local authorities arrested Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega.