35 migrants turned back at Lithuania-Belarus border — a record since the start of the year

State Border Guard Service

According to the service, the apprehended foreigners identified themselves as citizens of Afghanistan, Iran, Morocco, Pakistan, and Somalia. They had no documents, with the exception of one Afghan citizen.

Among the 35 mentioned foreigners was also a group of migrants who planned to illegally enter Lithuania. However, while still on the Belarusian side, seeing the approaching Lithuanian border guards, they did not manage to cross the border and retreated.

Most illegal migrants enter Lithuania through the territory of the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve in the Varėna district, near Grodno.

Individual checks of foreigners, apprehended both in this and other locations, were carried out on Wednesday. During these checks, border guards determined that the migrants were not in danger. After assessing all circumstances, they were returned to Belarus.

Last year, State Border Guard Service officers turned back 1,600 illegal migrants; since the beginning of this year, 186.

Throughout the entire period of the migration crisis since summer 2021, a total of more than 24,600 illegal migrants have been denied entry into Lithuania at the border between Belarus and EU member states.