Since the beginning of the summer, Lithuania has experienced a significant wave of migration, orchestrated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. While the situation has become tense in Poland, Lithuania has since November 10 declared a state of emergency at its border to protect itself. While migrants are not as heavily present as in Poland, border guards are turning back a few dozen people every day. Report at the border.
From our correspondent in Vilnius,
It is the commotion in the premises of the Siena volunteer group. A Lithuanian and a Portuguese woman are on call. They received a cry for help from a group with small children.
Volunteers heat soups. They pour tea into thermos. Warm shoes and overalls for children protrude from the bags. Dalia Beigiene accommodates the association in its training center.
” We have to help people, we have to help children, without wondering how they got into such a situation today. », She says.
While we are checking our permits, the army helicopter assisting the border guards turns to try to locate the group of migrants. The border is less than 500 meters away, but you can’t see it. They are there, along a path. In one of the tents, the women and children keep warm by sticking to each other.
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They are 14. Two Somalis and Iraqi Kurds. There are six children. The smallest is barely two years old. One of the fathers recounts their journey.
Lithuanian police caught me and told me to go back to Belarus. Belarusian police tell us, no, you can’t go back to Minsk, you have to go back to Lithuania. And like that all the time, at least 20 times, we made the round trip with Poland. We just need help, we don’t want to go back to Belarus
Border guards get their passports back. The group is taken to the warmth. Once left, all that remains of this makeshift camp is a few trash and five pairs of soggy socks. Mendel, one of the volunteers.
” We try to be there to give them hot food, dry clothes. Perhaps our presence can prevent people from being turned back to Belarus. There are really people who must be granted asylum », He affirms.
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All’s well That ends well. Unfortunately not in their case. Authorities said the group was brought back to the border the next day. Children cannot be a pretext for illegal migration, said the Minister of the Interior. A hundred kilometers from the border, in Parliament, some deputies are worried. They no longer want to have just the expressions “hybrid attack” and “state of emergency” at their mouths.
“ It really was a group of vulnerable people, saddened the deputy Tomas Tomilinas. They really should have been accepted in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds. There are exceptions to claiming asylum when passing illegally, but everything is very vague. The presence of lawyers and humanitarian workers would change the situation. “
Since the start of the summer, Lithuania has already carried out more than 7,800 refoulements. So far, only fifteen people have been able to obtain asylum.