How Lithuania is trying to cope with the migration crisis caused by a political conflict with a neighboring country

In Lithuania - a migration crisis: daily the country's border crosses more illegal migrants than in the whole last year in total. The Lithuanian authorities accuse Belarus, which does not interfere, or maybe contributes to the influx of migrants. The boundaries are reinforced as far as possible; There are not enough places to resettle refugees. Lithuania is trying to change the legislation on the provision of asylum and counts on the help of Europe.

"Gift" of Belarus

The countries of Southern Europe - Italy, Greece, Malta - constantly face a large stream of migrants from the countries of the Middle East and Africa. Now a similar problem has affected Lithuania. In 2020, 74 illegal migrants leaked to the country, in 2019-36. Since the beginning of this year, 1488 illegal migrants have already arrived in Lithuania, most in June and July. The demographic portrait has changed. Previously, the border was illegally crossed mainly by Russians and Belarusians. Now, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic, these are mainly Iraqis, as well as citizens of the Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, Iran and other countries of Africa and the Middle East. All of them come from Belarus. Since the beginning of summer, Four direct flights per week fly along the Baghdad -Minsk route, direct flights from Turkey - almost every day.

Lithuania directly accuses Belarus of using illegal migrants as a “hybrid weapon”. On May 26, after the incident with the Ryanair placed at the Minsk airport by the Minsk airport, Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus had stopped the traffic of drugs and illegal migrants - now the Western countries “will catch them and catch them”. And on July 2, speaking in the Palace of the Republic on the eve of Independence Day, Lukashenko spoke even more specifically: “I honestly said that we will not hold those whom you spread rot in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq anymore. We have no money or strength for this as a result of your sanctions. ”

In Lithuania, it is believed that this is a conscious policy of Lukashenko. “There is every reason to believe that

The authorities of Belarus are completely aware that migrants illegally cross the Lithuanian border and even use it as a hybrid tool against Lithuania and the whole EU, -

They told Novaya Gazeta to the Foreign Ministry of the country. - We are sure that Belarus violates such actions with a number of international obligations in the fight against illegal migration. (...) All this happens in a situation where Belarus does not experience any additional external pressure in terms of the influx of migrants, as was the case in certain regions of Europe several years ago, which only strengthens our suspicions in the artificial nature of what is happening. ”

The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior is confident in the same and give their arguments.

• Firstly, the obvious political conflict: Lithuania before and louder than other countries criticized the elections last year and continues to support the Belarusian opposition.

• Secondly, Lukashenko’s statement about the impossibility of stopping the flow of migrants.

• Thirdly, they say in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, “there is reason to believe that the official authorities of Belarus help migrants illegally cross the border. There is physical evidence: some get to Lithuania with a tourist visa of Belarus in their passport. ”

Strengthen the boundaries

The obvious necessity is to strengthen the boundaries. On July 2, Lithuania announced the emergency mode in connection with the influx of refugees. Border guards are helped by the Lithuanian police, the public security service, and the Union of Riflemen. To help Lithuanians, ten border guards were sent by Estonia, four - Finland. The army will be attracted to the protection of the borders - this option was considered as an extreme measure for a long time, but now it will have to go to it. The Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrid Shinonite, commenting on the government’s decision on Wednesday, emphasized that "the army will not shoot at the border."

In addition, it is planned to build some physical barriers on the border. According to the prime minister, we are not talking about a concrete wall, but about special fences used in the army.

The border patrols were joined by officers of the European Agency of Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) from Germany, France and Hungary, by the end of the month their number should grow to 30 people. At the end of July, Lithuania intends to visit the director of the Frontex agency Factor Lengeri to personally assess the situation.

Europe is also concerned and intends to help Lithuania solve the migration crisis as effective as possible. In the conditions of open borders within the EU, migrants are often detained for a short time in the Baltic countries and go further - inside the European Union. So the current problem concerns not only Lithuania.

Tent camps

Despite all the efforts that have already been undertaken, the flow of illegal migrants does not become less: 256 people arrived in Lithuania in the first three days of this week. You need to do something with them.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Novaya Gazeta described the procedure that all arrivals pass. First, they are isolated at the center of registration of foreigners, where the documents are checked, if any, and establish a person, if possible. There they are also tested on coronavirus. While a person is on isolation, they collect the maximum information about him, trying to establish its origin, the causes of migration and the circumstances of penetration into Lithuania.

Many, they say at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, immediately ask them to provide them with political asylum. The study of the migration department is engaged in the study of requests. “If there are no grounds for issuing a shelter, illegal migrants will be returned to the country of origin,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs says. We are talking, first of all, about economic migrants who came in search of a better life, and not those who fled for political reasons. Since now the Lithuanian delegation should go there in the near future to discuss the details of the return of migrants in the near future.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Agnes Bilotai, said that in connection with the influx of migrants, Lithuania should reduce the procedure for considering applications for asylum up to 10 days (in normal circumstances it takes several months). The bill on the examination of the procedure for providing asylum of Lithuania will consider the bill on Friday.

This is not easy: often the migrants detained on the border do not have documents, do not name their name or country of origin. “But our goal is to do everything as soon as possible, because the delays in the procedures are a huge burden for us,” says Minister Bilotay.

A big problem is the placement of all migrants. Usually, shelters of refuge were settled in the center for reception of refugees in the city of the Hand, there they could stay for several months in anticipation of the decision of the migration department. But the center in Rukle has long been filled to the limit. Therefore, now most of the migrants are settled in various municipalities, that is, where it will be necessary - for example, in schools.

At the border outpost near the city of Druskininkai, an Angar was completed, it should accommodate 70 people. Another hangar is completed at the outpost nearby. Near the center of registration of foreigners, a tent camp is set up. Another should appear this week. The Ministry of Internal Affairs promises that "basic life needs" will be provided in the tents. But a possible location in the ministry is not disclosed. According to the head of the department, "neighbors from an unfriendly country are listening and on the basis of this, perhaps, they also develop their strategy."

Tent camps and hangars are a temporary solution: now there is heat in Lithuania, but it will be warm for a couple of months, after which people need to provide a normal dwelling. How to do this is not clear.

The Lithuanian authorities are now consulting with Greece: there the migration crisis is constant, and officials learned to work quickly. It is assumed that they will help Lithuanians "optimize processes."