Lithuanian parliament legalizes expulsion of illegal immigrants
Lithuania’s parliament passed a controversial law legalizing the expulsion of migrants who cross the border illegally. At the Seimas in Vilnius on Tuesday, April 25, 86 MPs voted in favor of the relevant amendments to the Law on the State Border and its Protection, 8 were against and 20 abstained. The law is due to come into effect on May 3. Until then, it must be signed by President Gitanas Nausėda.
According to the dpa agency, after the entry into force of the law, illegal border offenders can be detained and deported back in case of a state of emergency or crisis situation associated with a massive influx of foreigners. This rule will be valid in border areas and for a distance of up to 5 kilometers inland.
Human rights activists criticize the law
Human rights organizations sharply criticized the document, which, in their opinion, legitimizes measures that violate international law.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged Lithuania to fulfill its international obligations towards asylum seekers. She issued a strong warning against passing the bill: under international law, migrants have the right to seek asylum and asylum seekers are prohibited from being sent to places where their lives or well-being could be in jeopardy. danger. The Lithuanian Center for Human Rights asked Nauseda to veto the bill.
For its part, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania objected that the bill clearly distinguishes between natural migration and migration used as a tool. The measures taken are necessary to protect Lithuania’s national security interests.
Migration Crisis 2021
Lithuania has almost 680 km of border with Belarus, which is also part of the external border of the EU. In the late summer and autumn of 2021, thousands of people tried to enter the EU illegally, across the Lithuanian and Polish borders. In Brussels, Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko was accused of provoking a migration crisis.
The Vilnius government has responded to the influx of migrants by strengthening border security and building a border wall. Since August 2021, Lithuanian border guards have turned away migrants and prevented the entry into the country of around 20,000 people trying to enter the country illegally from Belarus.
Source: DW
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