Lithuania: borders with Belarus at the heart of Polish President's visit

Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed migration at Belarusian borders with his Lithuanian counterpart, Gitanas Nauseda, during his two-day visit to Vilnius (Image illustration).

AFP - ATTILA KISBENEDEK

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

On a two-day visit to Lithuania, Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda the migration issue at their borders with Belarus.

They hope for firm responses from the EU.

Advertising

Read more

" 

", hammered in substance the Polish and Lithuanian presidents,

,

.

And to fulfill their mission, they are both considering the same means: a new legal arsenal, because European law must adapt to the situation and the construction of a border barrier, the very first priority for

.

Because for the Lithuanian president, the arrival of 4,000 migrants in the course of the summer is nothing more than a hybrid attack led by Alexander Lukashenko to take revenge on European sanctions.

Sanctions against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko

Polish President 

wants to go even further.

We need new sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and proof of European solidarity.

The growing criticism of the refoulement of migrants at the border has been brushed aside by the presidents.

In Lithuania, the construction of the barrier has already started, as has the work of persuasion to rally the rest of the Union to its cause.

In Poland, a doubling of the number of soldiers on the border with Belarus

The information went almost unnoticed in the Polish media: Poland is doubling the number of troops on its border with Belarus.

Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Twitter that nearly 6,000 soldiers are currently serving on the Polish-Belarusian border,

.

Just three days ago he was tweeting that they were just over 3,000.

This military reinforcement coincides with the vote in Parliament of an amendment allowing Poland to return migrants who have entered its territory illegally, without even processing their potential asylum request.

MEPs also approved the construction of a

, the cost of which is estimated at more than 350 million euros.  

The number of illegal attempts to enter Poland remains very high.

The border guards count several hundred of them per day.

And more and more migrants are getting there.

This is evidenced by the concern of the German authorities who see these migrants arriving from Poland and who in turn wish to establish border controls between the two countries.

►Also read: Poland-Belarus Wall: "A decision that goes towards the desire for a continent without asylum"

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Poland

• Lithuania

• Belarus

• International Migration