On Thursday, June 6th, 2024, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) reported no recorded attempts by irregular migrants to cross into Lithuania from Belarus. Conversely, Latvia documented 21 attempts by irregular migrants to cross its border on the same day.
Poland, facing a significant wave of irregular migration for several months, reported that 165 foreign nationals were not allowed entry on Wednesday. So far this year, 226 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places.
The influx of irregular migrants into the EU’s eastern member states from Belarus started in 2021 and is widely attributed to the Minsk regime’s policies. In 2021, nearly 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus. However, the majority of these migrants fled Lithuania once they were granted freedom of movement.
Since August 3, 2021, when Lithuanian border guards were authorized to turn away irregular migrants, they have prevented almost 22,000 people from crossing into the country from Belarus. This figure includes repeated attempts by the same individuals to cross the border.