[ad_1]
“Decisive action is important to us, because it is a clear message that we are ready to respond to the hybrid attack being carried out against Lithuania,” A. Bilotaitė told reporters on Monday.
The first Frontex officers began patrolling Lithuania on July 1.
“On July 10, Lithuania asked the Frontex Rapid Reaction Force: 60 officers, four interrogation teams with interpreters, 30 cars, two helicopters and two thermal imaging teams.
Currently, about 20 officers and 14 cars are already on patrol in Lithuania. This is a very clear message that Lithuania is not alone. We also believe that cooperation with Frontex in the field of returns is very important ”, assured A. Bilotaitė.
The Interior Ministry announced that a plan of measures to support Lithuania had also been signed with the European Asylum Support Office.
Ylva Johansson, the European Home Affairs Commissioner, has pledged between 10 and 12 million in financial support from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, which is expected to arrive in Lithuania in August.
Ask for help interviewing and returning migrants
According to the head of the State Border Guard Service, General Rustamas Liubajevas, some 60 border surveillance experts will come to Lithuania in the near future to help border guards to ensure border surveillance. In addition, Frontex is asked to help interview the migrants.
“We talked about the possibility of helping us organize a survey of illegal immigrants. Experts from the European Union could certainly contribute here. This would allow us to collect additional information that could be used later to organize the return of these people, “Liubajev told reporters on Monday.
A group of Frontex experts will also arrive in Lithuania next week to discuss cooperation on the return of immigrants.
Another 32 migrants were detained
According to preliminary data, 32 illegal immigrants were detained at the border with Belarus last day, the State Border Guard Service said on Monday.
Among those arrested, 23 presented themselves as Iraqi citizens or had Iraqi documents.
This year, a total of 2,096 illegal immigrants were detained on the border with Belarus. This figure is 26 times higher than in 2020. In July alone, border guards detained 1,435 migrants. There were 473 in June, 77 in May, 70 in April, and 8 in March.
Among the people detained on the border with Belarus this year are mostly Iraqi citizens or foreigners who came forward to them: 1,098. Also detained are 179 Congolese, 121 Cameroonians, 78 Guineans, 74 Iranians, 69 Syrians and Afghans, 68 Russians and other citizens.
Since the beginning of the year, according to preliminary data, most of the migrants have been detained in Druskininkai municipality: 566. 431 foreigners illegally arrived from Belarus were detained in Šalčininkai district, 334 in Ignalina, 353 in Varėna, 168 in Švenčionys and 142 in Lazdijai.
A large part of the detainees seek to enter Western European countries through Lithuania.
As the number of such cases increased, SBGS strengthened border security with Belarus. In addition to various organizational measures, officials from other SBGS units were assigned to this section and additional technical resources were assigned.
In addition, the border guards were assisted by forces from other Lithuanian institutions, including the army, as well as officials from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex and Estonia.
Lithuania has declared an emergency situation due to the influx of illegal immigrants.
[ad_2]
