Parliament passed a law authorizing the refoulement of migrants crossing the border illegally, when the state of extreme situation for massive influx of foreigners is decreed. This is what Lithuania did on July 2, 2021 after more than 4,000 people arrived on its soil from Belarus in a few weeks. Since the decree has not been repealed, this law will make it possible to continue the refoulements when the state of emergency declared at the start of the war in Ukraine ends on May 2.
With our correspondent in Vilnius, Marielle Vitureau
From the beginning of the migration crisis, in the summer of 2021, to today, Lithuania has carried out more than 20,000 rejections of foreigners. For the majority of MPs, there is no better proof of the need for this law.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has made this mass migration a weapon against lithuania, according to the authorities. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite fears an upsurge in entry attempts since, according to her information, planes are still circulating between Iran, Iraq and Minsk. However, the flows have fallen sharply compared to the summer of 2021.
Several voices denounce this law as contrary to international law ensuring the protection of refugees. For Erika Leonaite, of the Office of the Defender of Rights, it is not up to the border guards to decide whether or not a person can file an asylum application. Lithuanian laws are becoming increasingly draconian, she said, as all restrictions that were once temporary are now enshrined in law. The Council of Europe also denounced the decision of the Lithuanian parliamentarians.