Migrants stranded at the Polish-Belarusian border claim troops on both sides are “playing us like football” as they inflict abuse and unlawfully deport an EU country.

Men from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia tell harrowing stories of being beaten by Polish and Belarusian officials.

The EU accuses Belarus of orchestrating the crisis in retaliation for sanctions, and has declared Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko guilty of a “hybrid attack” against the bloc.

Last weekend, three migrant men and a woman, all considered Iraqi citizens, were found dead near the 400-kilometer border.

Three men found dead on the Polish side of the border on Saturday died of hypothermia and exhaustion, officials said.

Groups of migrants say they are treated inhumanly by officials in Poland and Belarus.

A man, who gave his name as Kelly and said he was from Nigeria, said the troops “played us like football“.

He told BBC Radio 4 Today program that those on the Belarusian side would “beat us, push us to Poland” before the Polish guards “catch us, beat us, send us back to Belarus”.

Michael, a migrant from Sri Lanka, said he asked border guards to allow him to call his wife and three children, but they refused.

“We have the same clothes, do not wash anything, we will starve,” he said as he was stranded in a forest on the Polish side.

“When I asked to call my wife, no, they refused to give a single one minute call.”

Another 21-year-old migrant said Belarusian police confiscated his phone before ordering him to cross to Poland.

Poland has implemented a policy of returning migrants to its non-EU neighbor.

The UN says pushing back migrants is a violation of international law.

EU member states Poland, Latvia and Lithuania have all declared emergencies in response to the migrant crisis.

Poland and Lithuania are building razor wire fences, increased border patrols and instituted a temporary state of emergency along their borders to stop illegal migration.

Polish border guard spokeswoman Anna Michalska said this week that more than 3,800 attempted illegal crossings from Belarus have been foiled so far in September.

She said more than 320 migrants were prevented from crossing Belarus on Saturday alone.

Update: September 24, 2021 9:05 am