Lithuania is increasing its military presence at the border with Belarus in response to a notable rise in the number of illegal migrants attempting to cross from the neighbouring country. On Thursday, Rustamas Liubajevas, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) commander, announced that the VSAT has agreed with the armed forces to deploy additional troops to the Varėna border district. These military units will assist the border guards in securing multiple border sections.
On Thursday morning, VSAT reported that Lithuanian border guards had successfully repelled 48 individuals who attempted to cross the border illegally within the last 24 hours. In a similar context, Latvia reported 56 attempted crossings on Wednesday, while Poland denied entry to 54 illegal migrants on Tuesday. To date, more than 680 migrants who tried to enter Lithuania from Belarus through unauthorised entry points have been sent back this year. In 2024, 1,002 migrants were prevented from entering Lithuania.
Moreover, the Latvian Border Guard has indicated that the flow of illegal migration into Latvia has resumed with warmer weather. This year alone, 2,798 attempts to cross the Latvian border illegally have been thwarted, with ten individuals granted permission to remain in the country on humanitarian grounds. In the previous year, 5,388 crossing attempts were prevented, and 26 individuals were allowed to stay in Latvia for humanitarian reasons.
