Lithuania filed a lawsuit against Belarus at the International Court of Justice on May 19 for contributing to the increase in the flow of migrants to the Lithuanian border. Lithuania believes that these actions violate an international agreement on combating the smuggling of migrants, and negotiations between the countries have not yielded results.
This is stated on the website of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The flow of illegal migrants from Belarus to Lithuania has increased sharply since 2021. Lithuanian services have collected evidence that the Belarusian authorities helped them reach the border — increasing the number of flights from the Middle East, issuing visas, and providing accommodation. And after arriving in Belarus — Belarusian security forces accompanied people to the border with Lithuania and forced them to cross it in dangerous conditions.
Despite numerous requests, Belarusian border guards have refused to help Lithuania stop these flows. Lithuania sees this as political pressure due to its support for the Belarusian opposition and sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.
Lithuania demands that Belarus compensate for damages, including the costs of building a border wall, and guarantee that something like this will not happen again.
Minister of Justice Rimantas Motskus says that with this decision, Lithuania demonstrates its leadership in protecting the interests of both the country and the EU, and strives for an order based on international law.
- According to the State Border Guard Service, since the beginning of the migration crisis, Lithuanian border guards have prevented 23,600 attempts at illegal entry from Belarus, Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reports. Often, the same people try to cross the border several times. This year, border guards have also prevented 712 migrants who tried to cross through unauthorized areas from returning to Lithuania.
- This is not the first time Lithuania has tried to hold the Lukashenko regime accountable: last year it was the first to turn to the International Criminal Court over deportations, persecution and ill-treatment of people. And a special Council of Europe center for Belarusians will soon open in Vilnius.
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