"We die. Doesn't matter." These were the words of a refugee stuck in the forests that separate Poland from BelarusBelarus is an eastern European state that is a close ally of Russia. Run by Alexander Lukashenko, it is known as "the last dictatorship in Europe".. The borders of the EU are fast becoming a fortress, with high fences and armed guards stretching for miles. Yet here, thousands of refugees are gathering to try to force their way in.

Critics claim that President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has manufactured this crisis by offering desperate people in Iraq and Syria tourist visas, and then helping them make their way into the EU states on his border: Poland, Lithuania and LatviaLike Lithuania, Latvia is a Baltic country formerly part of the USSR which today is one of the easternmost members of the EU.. They argue that he is using the refugees to punish the EU for placing sanctions on his government.

Regardless of the cause, the human cost is beyond doubt. In November, temperatures in Belarus drop to an average of 1.4C. By December it will be -5.5C at night. 

Many of the refugees are living in makeshift shelters they have built from branches and other available materials. If they cannot make it into Europe, they may freeze to death.

The migrant crisis has also struck the heart of Europe. Yesterday it was the turn of Britain and France to get into a war of words over who is responsible for stopping refugees crossing the Channel. At least 300 people are thought to have died making this perilous journey.

Across the western world people are preparing for Christmas. It is estimated that in the UK, 130 million sprouts, 74 million mince pies and 4.2 million plates of turkey will be thrown away.

That is why some wonder how the West can tolerate this kind of inequality. They think it needs to take responsibility for helping refugees.

They point out that Europe has not even taken on the burden of processing and supporting the refugees who are making for their shores, instead relying on much poorer countries in the Middle East to bear the brunt. The tiny state of Lebanon now hosts 1.7 million refugees, while Turkey is supporting 3.7 million, mostly fleeing from the civil war in SyriaIn 2011, parts of the Syrian population rose up against dictator Bashar al-Assad. The fighting has displaced around 13.5 million Syrians, of whom 6.8 million have fled the country..

They point out western power has played a direct role in creating these streams of desperate people. Most of the people gathering in Belarus are Kurds from northern Iraq, who have suffered from the violence and poverty that have stricken the country under US occupation.

The chaotic Nato withdrawal from AfghanistanIn late August, the Nato forces that had been posted in Afghanistan for 20 years withdrew from the country. They were criticised for leaving behind interpreters and other local allies. is likely to create still more refugees in the coming months. And, they argue, many of those trying to cross the Channel are fleeing poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, coming from countries that are straining under the debt they owe to western countries and the effects of climate breakdown.

But others think this attitude is patronising. They say the most heartfelt wish of any refugee is to return to their home, the moment it is safe to do so. Taking an unlimited number of refugees in will not give them a better life: it just means keeping them in limboA phrase meaning "in a state of uncertainty". It comes from the Christian idea of Limbo, a temporary afterlife for people who are waiting to be redeemed by Christ.. We should work on improving conditions in their countries instead.

Yes, say some. It is grotesque that people in the West are buying, consuming and throwing away so much food while others on their very doorstep are starving. It is the western world that has created many of the conditions that people around the world are fleeing, and it is their duty to help.

No, say others. They argue it is just not sustainable to encourage everyone to come to the West for a better life. It is not a kindness to bring refugees into Europe, keep them living in low-quality accommodation on a stipend or a temporary job, while doing nothing to help them return to their homes.