The threat of a Third World War due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has always been very latent since the beginning of the conflict, especially due to the numerous clashes between Russia and NATO that have increased the alert level. The truth is that neither of the two blocks seeks to tighten the rope that much, but Moscow, in response to the sanctions imposed by the West, uses its quietest “weapon” and it has nothing to do with drones, missiles or fighter planes, but with the immigration from Africa to destabilize Europe.
The European Commission warned last year of a significant increase in these “hybrid attacks” against the European Unioncommunicating that both Russia and Belarus “launch waves of migrants against community borders.” The EU warned that the affected countries were Poland, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, that is, bordering Minsk and Moscow.
And more and more organizations are warning of this reality in which Putin seeks to sow chaos in the West, thus satiating the sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. And they all also emphasize the origin of these migratory flows: the SahelOn the one hand, a “powderbox” in which coups d’état and civil disorder are the order of the day, and the Maghrebon the other hand, being close to the southern European countries. Among them is Spain, which has accentuated its migration crisis the most in recent years.
The EU is also investigating the possible involvement in this context of the Belarusian airline Belavia, one of the most isolated airlines in the world but which could be under the orders of the Kremlin. In the first half of 2025, More than 27,000 migrants arrived in Italy from Libya, and more than 7,000 on the Greek island of Creteas Euractiv explains. A possible coordination between Belarusian authorities with Libyan general Khalifa Haftar, known for his links with Moscow.
In this way, the European Union hints that the Kremlin’s tentacles could be replicating it in other community countries, and even adds that the arrival of canoes to the coasts of southern Europe and near North Africa, as is the case of the Canary Islands, could carry a Russian sender.
Russia’s hybrid war against the West: migration flows to destabilize Europe through Africa and the Middle East
Brussels is subject to a precedent: in the summer of 2021, Belarus was the epicenter of a migration crisis on its borders with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and suspicions were raised that the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, a faithful ally of Putin, facilitated the issuance of visas and organized flights for migrants from the Middle East and Africa.
Meanwhile, Greece considers that another nearby territory, Türkiye, could be a crucial actor in the current crisis, especially due to the Ankara’s diplomatic rapprochements with Libya and for the maritime agreement between both countries that ignores the Greek island of Crete.
Meanwhile, British Intelligence documents already warned in 2024 that Russia would use the migratory flows from Africa, specifically from countries such as Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal or Gambiato destabilize European countries, taking the Atlantic or Mediterranean route and with the activity of human trafficking networks. Frontex, the European border and coast guard agency, has also spoken out on the matter, emphasizing the same and calling it “a weapon in the game of influence and pressure.”
For its part, the think tank Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime also warns of the Russian activities in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso They would promote migratory flows from these countries to Europe, just as the Wagner group is involved in human trafficking.
Likewise, experts also involve China and Iranpartners of Moscow, who could play a role in immigration from the Maghreb and Sahel that arrives in Europe for various commercial activities and with the aim of destabilizing the West.