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I do not rule out the possibility that we inform the Iraqi side of the serious concern that our initial wish has not been heard in principle, well, that this situation be taken seriously. (…) It’s a bad trend, we have to admit it, ”the Lithuanian head of diplomacy told reporters on Thursday.
However, he called for a delegation of representatives of the country as a “key step to resolve the crisis.”
“We look forward to the visit of the Iraqi government in the next few days, this week or next.” If they did arrive, as promised, it would allow to start the process of recognition of the people who are in Lithuania. In principle, this would take the first steps towards reimbursement, “said the minister.
He stressed that the flights to Minsk, hoping to enter the European Union, were directed against the Iraqi people themselves, as they would eventually have to return.
A few days after Landsberg’s visit to Iraq, Iraqi Airlines announced the doubling of flights from Baghdad to Minsk.
According to the airline’s Facebook account, more planes should fly to the Belarusian capital from August.
In office, the director of Iraqi Airlines, Kifah Hassan Jabbar, says that the decision was made following the instructions of the Minister of Transport Nassero al-Shibli and in response to the growing demand for these types of flights.
From the beginning of August, the planes will fly on this route four days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Landsbergis, who returned from a visit to Baghdad last week, said Iraq was wary of returning migrants to their home country. However, he stressed that Lithuania has influence in the negotiations with Baghdad.
According to him, the European Union is preparing to tighten the issuance of Schengen visas to Iraqis, but solving the migration problem in Lithuania could change the opinion of the community.
Lithuania has faced a significant increase in illegal immigration in recent months. More than 2.3 thousand people have already tried to enter the country through Belarus. illegal migrants, most of them arrested in July. Most of the detainees are citizens of the Middle East and Africa.
According to Lithuanian officials, they enter Belarus mainly directly from Iraq or through Turkey.
Due to the influx of migrants, Lithuania has declared an emergency situation, strengthening border protection with Belarus through its own border guards and Frontex.
Lithuania takes the position that the increase in migratory flows is an organized action of the Minsk regime against Lithuania. Tensions between the countries escalated last year after the controversial presidential elections in Belarus.
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