Lithuania accuses Belarus of letting migrants pass through its territory
President Alexander Lukashenko in front of the Belarusian Parliament on May 26, 2021. AP - Sergei Shelega
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The Lithuanian government accuses the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, of illegally letting refugees from the Middle East who want to reach Europe pass through.
Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the Belarusian leader would use migration as a weapon against the European Union, which has adopted sanctions against him.
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Since last December, nearly 400 have crossed the border illegally.
This is five times more than in 2020, which is a lot for this small Baltic country.
More and more Syrians and Iraqis are crossing the border every month, explains Egle Samuchovaite, program director of the Lithuanian Red Cross: “
In the first five months of the year around 200 people arrived, but for in June alone, 200 more entered Lithuania.
"
Faced with the situation, the accommodation centers are already full.
Lithuania has therefore set up an emergency camp to house the refugees.
The majority arrive in groups of 20 to 30 people and in families.
“
A third are men, another third are women, we also welcome children, some unaccompanied minors and people with health problems. We are worried about our reception capacities to ensure accommodation for these people seeking asylum,
”continues Egle Samuchovaite.
According to Lithuanian border guards, there are still around 1,500 refugees to wait in Belarus.
The two countries share 500 km of border.
Rokas Pukinskas heads the communication department of the Lithuanian border guards.
He explains the journey of these refugees: “
They fly from Baghdad or Istanbul to Minsk.
The migrants then go to the border, which they cross through the nearest entry point, illegally.
We hope that the border will be reinforced with security barriers and surveillance cameras.
"
The Lithuanian government is now awaiting aid from the European agency Frontex scheduled for next July.
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Lithuania
Belarus
International Migration