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“Four young men with clean shoes, well dressed. Latest phones. After reporting, we waited the entire hour, but we still couldn’t get the border guards. The police took it away. Such an impression that the border of the Republic of Lithuania is not guarded at all. “- Algimantas Stalilionis, a self-employed worker from the other side of the country, started a conversation with Sekund correspondents from another country on Wednesday morning.
An active resident of the Panevėžys district, a member of the Panevėžys Hiking Club, decided on Tuesday to go to the Šalčininkai district, where an illegal immigrant crisis has been raging for the past month.
Every day, refugees seeking asylum from Iraq and African countries cross the border between Belarus and Lithuania, driven by economic conditions in their home country and the search for better prospects in Europe.
“Together with the hikers, I have previously visited Dievenišk anteriormentes and even spent the night in a school in this city, where the residents of the dormitories seek to protect themselves from the migrants,” A. Stalilionis, who was on duty in the building with the Nine residents. last night, he explained to the newspaper. – I wanted to support you in this situation – after all, that old school right in front of the gymnasium windows. The students will be back here in the fall. “
Negotiations failed, protest continues
Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė announced plans to settle immigrants in Lithuania in early July. In Dieveniškės, preparations have been made for the establishment of a migrant accommodation center in the dormitory of a closed school.
Both the Šalčininkai municipality and local residents opposed such intentions. 400 people have signed a petition to the central government that they do not agree to the placement of foreigners who have crossed the state border illegally in Dieveniškės. And last week, the townspeople themselves gathered to protest.
When it reached its peak on Friday, the Commissioner General, the Deputy Minister of the Interior and the Advisor to the Prime Minister even came to Dieveniškės, which had become a hot border crossing, trying to offer a compromise to residents. However, the negotiations failed: the authorities did not reject the plans and the inhabitants of Dieveniškės resisted the invasion of foreigners that threatened their village.
According to A. Stalilionis, the visit of the latter’s Panevėžys supporters was not an event.
“Ten people left Panevėžys for the border on Tuesday in two cars,” Algimantas, who had already returned on Wednesday, told Sekundei. – We went out alone. We had the flags of our city, they were flying in Dieveniškės.
According to him, the locals received the guests from eastern Lithuania very warmly. The hosts of the protest camp were even surprised that the people of Panevėžys decided to open their support from so far away. “He said he had never been to our countries, he appreciated the support,” says A. Stalilionis.
Young and tireless to travel
Residents of Panevėžys who joined the protest claim to have found some 200 participants in Dieveniškės who speak Lithuanian, Russian and Polish. Almost two-thirds were women.
The newcomers, according to Algimantas, sent the weary hosts to rest and they themselves remained on duty at the school during the night. And around five in the morning, they had the opportunity to make sure that they were really only four miles from the place where the migrants had been easily crossing the Lithuanian border for some time: four young people with dark backgrounds were slowly advancing towards the participants. of the Bell.
“They could have been fifteen to sixteen,” thinks A. Stalilionis. – I carry backpacks, they did not escape from anything and it did not even seem that they were going to do it. Nor did they seem tortured by the war: with white sneakers, with good clothes … “
Upon seeing the Lithuanians, the boys, according to the interlocutor, pulled out the phones and rushed to write messages. According to Algimantas, he probably informed his tour operators that the mission had ended and that the border with Lithuania had been crossed.
Belarusian footprint
After closer contact with those illegally crossing the border, A. Stalilionis and his comrades were not much surprised to learn that the migrants’ phones contain cards from the Belarusian telecommunications network.
“When they arrived at our camp, they felt extremely safe and well. Without panic, he asked to prepare coffee and, reaching the finish line, sat down to rest ”, says the self-taught about the incredible meeting.
He and other protesters tried to seek help, call the responsible services to denounce the illegal crossing of the state border. But, according to Algimantas, it turned out that in the next section of the border, the agents were intensively capturing more than a hundred of the same illegal immigrants, and the four, who had easily reached Dieveniškės, were no longer interesting to anyone. They came to be picked up by the police and taken to the border post.
Such information was confirmed to the media yesterday by the team of the Varėna State Border Guard Service.
“I also had to talk to the common border guards. They did not hide that the border forces were reduced and the officials did not capture the migrants,” A. Stalilionis told Sekundei.
According to him, while waiting for the officials, the people of Panevėžys managed to communicate with unexpected guests. They understood English, but did not intend to open up too much.
“We talked to them for maybe an hour,” remembers Algimantas. – We found out that these guys left Iraq three days ago. He paid $ 3,000 for that trip and, having arrived in Belarus by car, he was taken to the border with Lithuania, which he then crossed. “
The migrants said they wanted to stay and live in Lithuania. But he who doubts himself doubts that his expectations are so low. Experience shows that most illegal immigrants dream of more developed European countries.
Feels inaudible
A quieter night in Dieveniškės happened to Rimantas Kiela from Panevėžys. A well-known public figure from the city went to the Šalčininkai district on Saturday afternoon, after the Al Seimas protest ended.
“At the end of the event, the information about the events in Dieveniškės was disseminated in the capital. So we sat in the cars and got there with a direct app,” said the interlocutor.
According to R. Kiela, hundreds of people from all over the country greeted the people who approached the place, according to R. Kiela. The protesters were said to be benevolent and did not feel aggression. The locals provided them with mattresses and fried grills at the camp.
“I only stayed one night because I couldn’t stay longer, I had other things,” says the Panevėžys resident, however, he managed to draw several posters.
However, the man does not hide his emotions due to the situation on the border. According to R. Kiela, the Lithuanian border is empty, foreigners seem to cross it without getting their shoes dirty, and the country’s government does not listen to its people and even accuses them of things that do not exist: that they show aggression and violate its laws. .
“And that city left a very good impression on me,” added a Panevėžys resident. – Dieveniškės turned out to be neat and cut. The houses are old but painted. The old man is very affectionate. While trying to argue that this is the land of the backward. That’s probably always the case for those who try to oppose it. “
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