Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič has announced that Lithuania is working on a migration package that would allow authorities to close the border to asylum seekers.
“A very large migration package is currently being prepared, which could include certain changes regarding, say, possible border closures, similar to what Finland and Poland currently apply,” Kondratovič said on LRT television on Monday evening.
He said that they were studying how the two countries dealt with similar issues, and in cases where attacks on border guards were repeated, the government could decide to limit the asylum applications.
Kondratovič said that attacks by migrants on Polish border guards are prompting Lithuania to consider suspending asylum rights.
The Lithuanian minister said that rules that worked in the past may no longer be suitable for today’s needs, so it is necessary to adapt, learn from others and improve laws to prevent future threats.
So far this year, border guards have stopped around 250 illegal migrants crossing from Belarus, compared to 1 002 last year.
Illegal migration from Belarus to Lithuania, Poland and Latvia has increased since 2021, and the EU accuses Belarus of using this to exert pressure.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2531538/lithuania-considers-laws-allowing-to-suspend-asylum-rights-minister