Migrants at Lithuanian border: EU accuses Minsk of committing an “act of aggression”

Tension between Lithuania and Belarus: In July alone more than 2,000 migrants crossed the border illegally. The EU countries and the EU itself see the strategy of the Lukashenko regime behind it.

The European Union is leveling serious allegations against Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko due to the rapidly increasing number of Lithuanian migrants on the EU’s outer border. The EU is not dealing primarily with a migration crisis, but with an “act of aggression”, said Ylva Johansson, EU Interior Commissioner in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Such provocation is “absolutely unacceptable”.

In July alone, more than 2000 illegal border crossings by people from countries such as Iraq or African states were registered along the nearly 680-kilometre-long border between the Baltic EU country and Belarus. In the entire previous year, there were 81.

Lukashenko had threatened

According to the findings of the European Union, the situation was brought about by the government of the neighboring country. In the past, Lukashenko has openly threatened people from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria to pass through in response to EU sanctions imposed on his country.

In a bid to curb the number of illegal border crossings, the European Union is looking to once again expand its support to member state Lithuania. Soon the country will have more than 100 border guards from Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, Johansson told a news conference with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonite. Also, according to their information, additional financial assistance is being investigated.