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In a joint press conference with Charles Michel, President of the European Council (ECE), in Vilnius, G. Nausėda said that Lithuania is experiencing “unprecedented migration pressure” today and observes “how the Belarusian regime uses migration as a tool for political manipulation “. “.
In this situation, the role of the institutions of the European Union and assisting Lithuania in managing the flows of illegal immigrants and strengthening the protection of the external border of the European Union is extremely important. Therefore, we hope that the institutions of the European Union will provide all the necessary support both to strengthen the protection of the border with Belarus and to dialogue with the countries of origin of illegal migration, ”said G. Nausėda.
At the same time, he stressed the role of the Government of Lithuania, saying that it must take “urgent work” to strengthen the EU’s external border infrastructure, technical staff, negotiate faster use of EU funds to these ends, the additional support of the EU Frontex and European Support in the matter of asylum and “immediate contact with the governments of Turkey and Iraq on the readmission of illegal immigrants”.
Nauseda rejects the possibility of speaking with Belarus about migrants
President Gitan Nauseda on Monday ruled out talks with Belarus on how to reduce illegal migration flows from the country.
Mr. Nausėda argued that Lithuania should focus on its “homework” to strengthen the border with the neighboring country, talk to the migrants’ countries of origin and seek EU support.
“It is very difficult to communicate with a regime whose legitimacy we do not recognize and which, by accident or mistake, allows migrants to cross the border. It is a conscious tool of politics, a tool of political manipulation, “said G. Nausėda at a joint press conference with European Council President Charles Michel.
According to him, attempts to influence Lithuania through migration will not stop, given the sanctions imposed on Belarus by the EU.
“As a result, the hope is not so much to reestablish relations or debate with the illegitimate regime as to do the necessary homework that we all must do to solve the problem,” said the president.
Mr. Naus saidda said that he hoped that the EU institutions would provide all necessary assistance to strengthen the border with Belarus and speak with the migrants’ countries of origin.
Meanwhile, the government must undertake “urgent work” to strengthen the Lithuanian-Belarusian border security infrastructure, technical equipment of officials and faster use of EU support for these purposes, the head of state said.
According to him, the government should also seek additional support from the EU border and coast guard agency Frontex and the European Asylum Support Office, and “immediately contact the Turkish and Iraqi governments regarding the readmission of immigrants. illegal “.
According to the president, Lithuania itself has not done its homework for the past decade to make the EU’s external border with Belarus more secure.
“Today we have about 60 percent. Borders with Belarus, which simply do not meet the minimum quality requirements and therefore this problem is only getting worse,” said G. Nausėda.
According to him, it is also necessary to improve the infrastructure so that we can “consider the migrants who have already arrived in Lithuania in civilized conditions.”
“However, the most important thing is to ensure that there are no incentives and motives to develop this obviously illegal business, when you pay a lot of money to enter Lithuania and these people are flowing in droves across the border between Belarus and Lithuania,” said the President.
More than 1,200 illegal immigrants have already arrived in Lithuania this year, several times more than last year. Many of them are from Middle Eastern countries.
Ch. Michel promises to speak to Iraqi President about illegal immigration to Lithuania
Charles Michel, President of the European Council (ECE), promises to speak with Iraqi President Barham Saleh about illegal immigrants leaving the country and heading to Lithuania.
“I will meet with the president of Iraq during a video conference next week and, together with Gitan Nauseda, we will certainly prepare several arguments to convince the Iraqi representatives to help resolve this situation,” Ch said at a press conference in Vilnius. on Monday. . Michelis.
Many immigrants coming to Lithuania from Belarus are Iraqi citizens.
When asked if the European Union (EU) could apply an exchange mechanism similar to the one introduced in 2015 after the influx of migrants from southern EU countries in response to Lithuania’s migration crisis, Michelis stated that it was about of “perhaps a more complicated subject”. .
According to him, first of all, “all necessary measures” must be used to prevent illegal migration and encourage people to return to their countries of origin.
The EU agreed six years ago to separate migrants from the Middle East from the Middle East. This time, Lithuania promised to receive 1,105 asylum seekers.
The head of the EVS said that the EU unanimously condemns Belarus’ actions to use migration as a tool of pressure.
“The EU strongly condemns this pressure on immigrants. I would like to express the solidarity of the EU here,” said Ch. Michelis.
More than 1,200 illegal immigrants have already arrived in Lithuania this year, several times more than last year. Many of them are from Middle Eastern countries.
